


white noise

by sheithkeef



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: DISCLAIMER: EVILLUSTRATOR AND GAMER NEVER HAPPENED, F/M, Marinette Has a Crush on Chat, Minor Angst, adrien has a thing for emotionally strong women, adrien is a disney prince, adrien is the most naive child, adrien is the most stubborn boy, everyone got an age up to 18, guns! :(, hawkmoth coalition, he has no idea how to date, i'll update the tags as we go, keep checking tags, there will be smut, this was planned and written before canon ages were released
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2018-11-30 03:00:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11454591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheithkeef/pseuds/sheithkeef
Summary: [ON HIATUS]“There’s too many bodies, too much noise…”“I can take you somewhere else. Somewhere where there doesn’t have to be this much noise, this many bodies…just our noise. And our bodies.”“A-Adrien…”“Are you down?”At least, that’s how it would have gone if he had a speck of confidence in the moment.Or Adrien is suddenly tongue-tied around Marinette, so he seeks assistance from his alter ego.





	1. WINGMAN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> model boy needs a wingman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT:
> 
> ok so this is my first MLB fan fiction EVER. i've been reading and reading and reading and studying up to make sure i do everything perfectly, and i THINK i'm getting the hang of it. my method of writing is staying chapters ahead. so when i finish chapter three, i'll post chapter two. i have a boring ass summer so it really shouldn't take me long to update! i hope you enjoy!

Adrien tapped his finger on the table, drink to his right and Nino to his left. He wasn’t sure how long it would be until the loud noise of the night club finally got to him and he stormed out. Adrien didn’t think that a teen club would be this wild and aggressive. The happiness of his best friend was the mere reason why he had agreed to such a night.

“Adrien,” Nino begs, “ please come dance with me. I see Alya, and I need a wingman.”

“You don’t need a wingman Nino,” Adrien shrugs from the sidelines, “you can get her without my help.”

“Come _on_ ,” he begs once again, tugging at his arm in a desperate manner, “you helped me once with Marinette, just do me this solid?”

“I don’t recall our encounter with Marinette working in your favor,” He smirks, and his friend groans in defeat, mumbling a curt “ _fine_ ” before walking away dragging his feet behind him. He picks up his drink in his left hand, taking a sip as he scans the dance floor for anybody he just so happened to be acquainted with. Someone that could possibly give him a ride home other than the Gorilla. He would rather be in the hands of someone much less strict and stern. Or, maybe it was the presence of his father that he disapproved of.

His eyes stopped rather quickly as they fell upon Marinette in the corner of the room. Adrien has to put his drink down, being that he had never seen his young classmate in such a powerful ambiance before. He noticed her haircut, seeing that her navy blue curls barely touched the skin of her exposed shoulders. (They were eighteen now, and she didn’t wear her notorious pigtails anymore.) She wore a navy white striped strapless top with all black jeans on her legs and sneakers atop her feet. He couldn’t help but stare at her glistening skin, mesmerized by all means.

She looked out into space, twirling her glass around in her hands. Adrien was caught off guard, to say the least. He had always been fond of Marinette; they happened to have classes together and share a collection of pleasant memories, but most of the time when they would talk, she would fall apart and stutter her words away. He wished they could have a conversation like they had when he was helping her and her great uncle. He hadn’t recalled any nervous stuttering then and it was nice to learn more about her.

But here, in this moment, she didn’t look flustered, nervous, or preoccupied. She simply sat, looking up at the bright spotlights shining down on the dancing grinding bodies. Her finger tapped at her chin as she gazed up with wonder. Adrien wanted nothing more but to know what she was thinking about. He’s never been hypnotized like this, by a single girl at a random club he _almost_ regretted going to.

He was compelled, unaware of his legs swishing to the side and allowing him to step off the stool. He nudged past each body, his pace quickening as fast as his heartbeat with every step he took closer to Marinette. He remained visually calm and composed until he was an arm’s reach away from her. Once he could easily identify her bluebell eyes he could feel his throat dry up and his words fall back into his stomach. Reluctantly, feeling his presence beside her, Marinette turned to Adrien, who resembled a deer in headlights. Naturally, she reacted in the same manner.

“A-Adrien!”

The blush rose to both of their cheeks as they tried to contain their nerves.

“H-Hey Marinette,” he grinned shyly, “sorry for just coming over without warning… I’m here with Nino a-and I saw you from over there!”

He pointed to where he and Nino were previously seated, realizing that his seat was in fact very far away. His cheeks, if even possible, reddened even more. She must think he’s a stalker at this point.

“Oh…” Marinette smiled uneasily, “you must have good vision then.”

“Not really,” he bounces off her comment anxiously, “I-I wear contacts.”

“Y-you need glasses?” Marinette asks, her head quirking to the side.

“Contrary to belief, I’m not that perfect,” he jokes, and Marinette smiles again, the same troubled expression on her face. Adrien decided to stop the selfish conversation and shift the subject matter to her.

“So, what brings you here tonight?”

Marinette’s blush doesn’t fade as she replies quietly, prompting Adrien to lean in closer as she speaks below the roaring music.

“Alya dragged me along. I’ll be leaving shortly though, I still have some work to do before classes start on Monday.”

“Oh…” he smiles softly, “that’s good then. Have you been having a good time?”

“Oh no; I absolutely _hate_ these clubs.”

Adrien is taken aback, but at the same time, is wildly curious as to why the girl despised clubs with such a fiery passion. Though he could probably relate and guess why she would disapprove, he desperately wanted to hear it from her.

“There’s too many bodies, too much noise…”

“Oh, well I mean, I uh, I agree.”

And Adrien wants to smack himself in the chest a thousand times over after his stupid comment left his mouth, Really, just, _‘I agree’?_ He sits there in misery as she taps away on her phone. The young man wasn’t sure if she was simply trying to avoid conversation, or if she was actually doing something of merit. The anticipation was beginning to kill his confidence.

The conversation could have gone so much better…

_“There’s too many bodies, too much noise…”_

_“I can take you somewhere else.”_ Adrien would have replied smoothly, _“Somewhere where there doesn’t have to be this much noise, this many bodies…just our noise. And our bodies.”_

 _  
_ _“A-Adrien…”_

_“Are you down?”_

At least, that’s how it would have gone if he had a speck of confidence in the moment. Ha, maybe if he was Chat Noir.

He still barely understood why he was suddenly becoming putty at the sight of a girl he’s been seeing for all of 2 years. He remembers the first day they truly met, and that she still probably had his umbrella somewhere, but otherwise he never had a true connection to her. None that he could think of off the top of his head, at least.

“Well,” Marinette sighs after a while, looking over at her friend on the dance floor, “I’m probably going to head out now. If you see her before you leave, could you tell her I walked home?”

“You’re walking?” Adrien suddenly inquiries, snapping back to his senses, “it’s late outside, dangerous in fact. You can’t walk home by yourself.”

“Adrien,” Marinette looks surprised, but still answers with slight ease, “I can take of myself. Tell her, will you?”

He opens his mouth to protest again, but her body slinked past his effortlessly as she headed towards the double doors of the club, leaving him speechless. He bites his lip, looking back at Nino and Alya, who seemed to be having a good time.

They won’t miss me.

Adrien rushes to the men’s bathroom, taking off his jacket as Plagg flies out of his inner pocket. The kwami steadies himself in the air and looks at his charge in disbelief.

“What was _that_?” Plagg asks curiously, flying up to Adrien’s flustered face.

“It’s just as surprising to you as it is to me,” he sighs, sliding down the tiled wall and combing a hand through his hair, “I just…she…”

“Adrien, you see her every day.”

“Yes but today I _saw_ her.”

He sighs, groaning as he gets up off the floor hastily. He still couldn’t believe that he let her walk home in the middle of the night by herself. He had to make sure that she got home safe; suddenly it felt like his duty.

“Plagg,” he mumbled, and his kwami’s protests were soon drowned out when he shouted his transformation mantra.

  


________________________________

  


“Did that even happen?” Marinette whispers to herself as she walks home, away from the club where she actually held a conversation with Adrien Agreste. Sure it had been short-lived, and yes, she did stammer for half the conversation; but _so did he_. Adrien ‘Swimming in Perfection’ Agreste had been stammering and she was wise enough to catch it.

 _Maybe I don’t sound as stupid as I thought I did,_ she thinks to herself as she turns a corner. There are only a few more blocks before she reaches the bakery, and though she assured Adrien she would be safe voyaging home on her own, she felt an anxious pit bubbling in her stomach. I guess you could say, her Ladybug senses were tingling.

Marinette had dealt with thugs before. Every corner of Paris couldn't be ridden of all enemies; Ladybug and Chat Noir still had lives to live. She could handle herself, being that her super heroine side was always a part of her. Although on this late summer night, she hadn't been expecting to be followed.

In other words, when she turns the corner to find a tall man in a trench coat blocking her way, she's unnaturally startled.

“Miss,” the man murmurs, “hand over your purse.”

She shifts her handbag away from the man, knowing her kwami lied inside, fast asleep.

“Don't make me ask again; hand me, the _purse_.”

She shook her head boldly, reaching under her top to grab her clip-on bottle of pepper spray (specially designed herself). He made a grab at her, and as soon as she was about to attack, a flash of darkness appeared in front of her, taking her by surprise. She backed up in awe as the man fell to his knees before face planting into the sidewalk.

“Sorry Miss; you alright?”

Marinette turns, her hand still beneath her top, but she drops it with relief as soon as she sees her leather clad partner before her. She hadn’t seen Chat Noir in a long time, considering the demise of Hawkmoth half a year ago. Yes, they still saw each other here and there due to small issues around the city and just the unavoidable truth that they missed each other, but it had been a few weeks since she last saw him.

 _What was he doing out so late?_ Marinette couldn’t help but wonder. She would’ve looked at her phone to double check, but she was pretty sure that it was way past midnight. _She_ shouldn’t even be out here at this hour.

“Oh thank god,” Marinette sighs in surprise, “I-I wasn't expecting you to--”

“Be here?” He takes a step towards her, “My apologies; that's my job of course. Sorry I wasn't here sooner.”

Marinette had no idea what to do. Yet again, she was a deer in the headlights. Her everyday self had never met Chat Noir in such an intimate setting, and being in the shoes of a victim rather than her more confident alter ego left her with a bit of room to improvise; which was a bad idea for Marinette to try.

“T-thank you.” She grins before walking away and leaving Chat Noir in the dust. Though to her dismay, her stubborn kitty follows her once again.

“Hey hey,” he stands in front of her, holding his hand out, “you can't walk home on your own. It's too dangerous.”

Marinette raises her eyebrows, reminded of what Adrien had uttered to her earlier.

“I can handle myself, thank you.” She says before walking around him, “You’re not the only one that’s told me this!”

“Good thing it's a free country,” Chat bounces back, “I’m gonna walk next to you anyway.”

Marinette rolls her eyes, eventually complying. They strolled together, basking in the silence they provided each other. She kept her hand securely atop her bag, awaiting their arrival at the bakery anxiously.

“So,” Chat attempts to make conversation, “what are you doing out so late, darling?”

Marinette cringes.

“Just went out with my friend. Left early because I was too tired to stay the rest of the time.”

“Ah,” he flips his baton around, “nice, I guess.”

“You have such a way with words,” Marinette sasses and he smirks, unaware of this newfound confidence, but intrigued nonetheless.

“Why thank you, M'lady,” she tenses at the nickname but attempts to remain casual, “I’m usually smoother, but let's just say that you caught me off guard.”

“Not sure why,” she smiles, holding her jacket closer to her chest. Her mind was still on ‘M’lady’; she assumed that he saved that exclusively for Ladybug.

“Maybe you should look yourself in the mirror,” Chat Noir takes it up another level and Marinette feels her face flush a vivid red. Even in the darkness, there's no way Chat could have missed it. She knew he was a flirt, but she’d never seen him flirt with anyone else other than Ladybug. Perhaps she didn't know her kitty as well as she thought?

They approach the bakery quicker than they expected (Not that Chat Noir had any idea where they were going). The bright lights had been dimmed due to almost every establishment in Paris being closed. Marinette reached into her purse, fishing for her keys. Lightly pushing past Tikki, she searched with no success. A second time around, and she still couldn't find them.

Once she had scattered her things around three more times, it dawned on her.

_She left them on her dresser._

“Dammit,” she whispers, zipping her purse shut, “listen Chat Noir, I’m so sorry but I seem to have left my keys on my bedroom dresser.”

“No worries,” He shrugs, “I’m sure I can break the door down--”

“No no!” Marinette stops him, putting her hands on his chest before he wakes her poor parents. His hand lands on the wall beside her as he leans in closer. The sudden close proximity between them leaves Marinette at a loss for words. Since when does he have her so flustered?

“I could always give you a lift,” Chat Noir raises his eyebrows, pointing upwards to her roof.

“How do you know the door’s open, Kitty?” Marinette teases, smirking as she eyes him. He presses the paw button on his baton, and she watches in amazement as it reaches two stories high.

“Join me?” He holds his arm out and she wraps her arms around his neck as she brings them up. She lands on her roof with an “oomph” and Chat Noir has to reach out to steady her as she tips over.

“Whoa there,” he pulls her up so her body crashes right into his side, causing her breath to catch in her throat. Her temperature rising rapidly, Marinette gulped and looked up at him as he let her go. She definitely noticed how long it took him to release his grasp, and that knowledge alone was enough for her legs to buckle.

“Thank you,” she managed to utter again, “for the walk--and, the lift.”

“Check before I leave you cold and helpless on the roof,” he grins his wide like the Cheshire Cat’s as Marinette opens her skylight, proving she indeed didn't lock it.

“A question, before I go?” Marinette asks, turning to her partner.

“Yes?”

“How did you know there was a skylight on the roof?”

“What can I say…?” He blushes, losing his composure at her question, “I love the bread here.”

“Good to know,” she smirks before reaching out to shake his hand, “thank you, again.”

Instead of taking her handshake, he grasps her hand and presses his lips against her knuckles.

“No, thank you, Miss…”

“Marinette…Dupain-Cheng.”

“Marinette,” He smiles fondly, releasing her hand and taking a few steps back, “So I’ll, see you around? Marinette?”

“More than you think.” The young woman waves as Chat Noir jumps off of her balcony, pole vaulting away. Marinette, too enchanted by her partner’s sudden charming attitude, was unaware of her best friend walking past the bakery who happened to catch Chat Noir kissing her hand before making a gallant getaway.

Marinette also missed her earth-shattering screams as she closed the skylight for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love this!! D:


	2. DISTRESS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> adrien and marinette feel conflicted and torn. just a little bit though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two! enjoy!

Adrien returns to his bedroom, feeling exhausted from staying transformed for this long. He can’t imagine how his kwami feels as he drops to the floor of his bedroom. He releases Plagg and stands up hesitantly before walking over to his dresser, longing for his cloth sweatpants his father almost refused to buy. They were too “casual” for someone of his ranking, according to the man.

“Why did you visit her as Chat, Adrien?” Plagg inquiries as soon as he finds his camembert that Adrien keeps locked down in his mini-fridge, “Look, I get it; you’ve got a new crush. It will only make matters worse unless you reveal yourself to her.”

“I dunno…it was a spur of the moment decision Plagg.”

Adrien was in total distress. Seeing Marinette not only reminded him that he had a few things to get together before the start of their senior year in high school, but also that he  _might_ have to regret overlooking his once extremely quiet classmate.

“What do you have left to do for school?” His kwami attempts to ask kindly.

“Small stuff,” Adrien shrugs, deciding to forget the shirt as he sat down at his desk, “won't take me long; I’ll be in bed before I know it.”

“Hopefully a good night’s sleep will help you screw your head on straight.” Plagg sighs.

  
  


____________________________

  
  


First days weren't weird for Adrien after he randomly interrupted with his presence during sophomore year. There were too many awkward fumbles for him to count, and the “assistance” of his childhood friend Chloe wasn't of any aid to him. Her input had caused a few of his classmates to see him as an enemy rather than a friendly face, but he hopes that now, in their senior year, he’d made amends with those he’d offended.

After Gorilla drops him off at the front steps, his eyes scan for Nino, hoping he finds his friend before Chloe. Yes, she was a childhood best friend, but  _no_ , did he want to spend his first morning back with her showing him off to new students like a makeup palette.

Adrien’s search for Nino would have failed anyway, because the young man jumped on top of his back, screaming his name before he could even register what was happening.

“Adrien!” Nino exclaims, “It’s been so long!”

“Yesterday?” Adrien chuckles and Nino sighs, sliding off of his back and wrapping a friendly arm around his shoulder,

“Adrien, you have to let my dramatic side take flight sometimes,” he scolds the blonde as they walk into school. Adrien is buried in greetings before he even takes two steps inside. He bashfully greets all the people approaching him, his cheery mood faltering as he soon becomes exhausted. That's all it was; it was exhausting to be Adrien Agreste.

The popularity, having every eye watching his every  _move_ , the constant demand to smile, his lack of free time to be an 18 year old boy (Adrien’s night out with Nino had been the first in at least  _two months_ ); though the most draining part about being Adrien Agreste had to be his only blood related family member; Gabriel Agreste.

Most would say he's perfect; poised, elegant, constantly a gentleman, well dressed and  _extremely_ smart. But Adrien has come to discover over the years that it would  _never_ be enough for his father and proceeded to accept his unfortunate fate.

“So where did you go last night?” Nino asks him, bringing him back to reality.

“I uh, got a little distracted.” Adrien shrugs, “you were alright with Alya though, right?”

“Would have been better with you though,” He complains. Adrien smirks at Nino before they take themselves to class. Mrs. Bustier was already beginning the lesson as the two boys sat down.

“Nah Nino, you're a charmer without me.”

“But seriously, what happened?”

Adrien was about to grace Nino with another faux response, but the look on his face when Marinette stumbled into the classroom (late as always) was enough for Nino to piece together his whereabouts.

Today she's wearing a light blue tee, tucked into a short black skirt. Her hair was up this time, and his eyes wandered to her shoulders once again, wishing they were exposed like they were last night. He feels the longing in his heart, the humiliation from last night sinking in. He regretting talking to her more than ever as he watched her.

“Mari!”

He turned to Alya, who was waving her over like a madwoman. The bell rang and soon the students were quieted, awaiting their lesson. He soon zoned out of the excitement occurring behind him, his own thoughts trapping him.

Adrien hated being in class. Yes, he loved the experience of spending time with his fellow students and getting as much practice socializing as he could. He  _hated_ sitting through classes that taught the same information he already knew thanks to his father’s constant and thorough lessons.

Though today, he was happy he had excelled knowledge; it left him time to think, and plan out his next move.

Plagg was right; visiting her as Chat Noir was a bad idea. But he would be lying if he said that he wasn't addicted to the confidence flowing through him when he was his other self. It wasn't him but it  _was_ at the same time.

He wanted the same successes for Adrien, but he knew that he most likely missed his opportunity a long time ago. Before he even thought about it, he stopped himself from turning around to look at her. He knew she was there, so there was no reason to turn around.

_Nope. No reason._

“Adrien,” Nino whispers beside him, as if he was reading his thoughts, “I’m going to ask the girls to join us for a movie tonight; you in?”

_Fuck._

“I…” Adrien tries to mouth out his response, his mind screaming “ _YES YES GOD YES”,_ but his nerves rendering him mute.

“Yes?”

“ _Yes._ ” He managed to stumble out.

Nino nods, giving him a strange look. Obviously, he didn't recognize his sudden quirkiness. He turns his attention to the lesson again as Adrien bites the inside of his lip. A silent prayer begins to play in his mind as he hopes his father will approve.

Adrien was in his thoughts throughout the entire lecture, his mind dreaming about one way or another. Sometimes he would see Marinette and other times, Ladybug. Hell, sometimes he visioned absolute freedom.

Adrien loved dreams.

Eventually, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. He got up almost immediately, bidding Nino farewell, reminding him to inform him about the movie later on during the school day.

  
  


_____________________________

  
  


Marinette was paralyzed. Hearing that her best friend had witnessed her being visited by Chat Noir in the wee hours of the early morning was something that she wasn’t expecting to hear. Nor did she ever  _want_ to hear it. She loved her best friend dearly, but she was aggressive, intruding, and pushy  _all_ at the wrong time. Chat Noir had simply done a good deed; he would have done the same for any civilian, but since it’s  _her_ , there’s suddenly a hidden message behind his motives.

She had never met Chat Noir in her civilian form and wasn’t planning on meeting him at any time whatsoever. It was too risky for them to reveal themselves and she didn’t know how capable she was of keeping her secret as Marinette. Marinette wasn’t Ladybug; Ladybug had the capability of keeping such a secret.

Marinette would accidentally message it to the Ladyblog somehow.

She bites her lip when the bell rings, looking up only to see Adrien bolting from the room and out the door as fast as humanly possible. Marinette looks at him oddly, along with Nino and Alya. As soon as he’s gone, Nino turns around to them.

“It’s not just me, right?”

“That boy is acting trippy, and I’m genuinely concerned for his safety,” Alya chuckles, “and when I say trippy, I mean the  _abnormal_ amount of trippy for a teen model.”

“Maybe his dad has him doing something?” Nino shrugs, “ Anyway, I propose that we all go to dinner and catch a film tonight; to celebrate the beginning of senior year. In?”

“You can’t take me out,” Alya grins, “Marinette?”

Marinette runs through her schedule in her head. If she did her homework quickly enough, she could manage to fit in a little patrol time before the movie, to make up for the time she would be missing at night.

“Marinette?”

Wait, Marinette; you’re having a  conversation.

“No no, I can totally do it,” she replies with a grin.  


“Adrien’s gonna be there Juliet; you still in?”

She froze in place.

 _Adrien + Movies =_ **_Date_ **

The three words ran through her processing system, and her response cut short as she stood before her two friends, mouth agape and staring at them in pure awe.

“I-bu-wha-I--hu--”

“She's in!”

  
“Good!” Nino exclaims, “I heard that new Marvel movie sounds great…”

“Since when do you see those?”

Their conversation fizzles out of her mind as Marinette’s anxieties take its place. She and Adrien are going out on the closest thing they could get to a fucking  _date._ Yes, Alya and Nino would be there, but it still had the atmosphere of an intimate setting. The four of them would be in the movie theater, and knowing Alya, she would be the one placed right between Adrien and Nino, stopping wild conversations between the two best friends and giving the two teens some space to bond. She could already feel her heart jumping up to her throat as she imagined sitting next to Adrien, a finger’s reach away from his now slightly chiseled jaw and gorgeous lips. It was happening. Marinette was taking the next step.

And she was petrified _._

She moved to her next class, feeling herself becoming enclosed into a bubble. Her best friend grabbed her shoulder, dragging her aside with a grin.

“You see?! Things are looking up! Tonight is perfect Adrien bait.”

“I didn't know we were fishing,” Marinette smirks, and Alya chuckles,

“Honey, we are fishing for a rare specimen, not a dumb trout.”

Marinette giggles, sensing her sudden nerves slightly falter as she quietly banters with the redhead. She had nothing to worry about. If anything really did go wrong, she knew that Alya would be there to help her out in any way. It’s what she loved about her; despite the overbearing traits of her personality, she was a loyal and reliable friend.

It almost made her wish that she could tell her about Ladybug.

“Ok Mari,” Alya whispers as soon as Nino is gone, “you, me, and the mall. Right after school.”

“But Alya, I have to--”

“Have to what _?_ ” She whines as Marinette’s cheeks burn.

“Well--I--uh, I guess so.”

“Great!” She squeals as the final warning bell rings, “See you then!”

Alya speeds around the corner to her science class as Marinette sighs, headed to her arithmetics class. Leading her double life left her exhausted, and it didn't seem to be letting up. Her only hope was that Char Noir would be patrolling tonight, even though she wouldn't be able to make it.

  
  


_____________________

  
  


“So how do you feel?” Alya questions as they stroll past infinite racks of clothing. Marinette’s fingers drag along the metal aimlessly as she answers Alya.

“I’m kind of numb,” she says honestly, “it feels surreal like it never happened.”

“Well, it did!” Her best friend exclaims, “And I’m going to make sure that you're only looking your best!”

“Alya, new clothes aren't going to impress Adrien.”

“What makes you so sure of that?”

Marinette shrugs, “If he was that type of guy, I never would have liked him in the first place. Adrien’s rawer than that. I know what I have to do tonight. I’m just going to be,  _super_ clumsy, anxious and impulsive the entire time.”

“Maybe that's a  _good thing_ , Alya winks, “I mean if you impulsively  _kiss him_ \--”

“Baby steps!” Marinette shouts in embarrassment, punching Alya in the arm harder than she expected to. Her friend backs up, wincing from the impact.

“Oh my god,” she whispers, “I’m so sorry! I-I didn't think I could hit you that hard--”

“It's okay,” she grins, “a woman with a punch behind her is a woman worth my time, no doubt. Now come on; Adrien might not be phased by new clothes, but you should do yourself a favor and treat yourself.”

“You say it as if I don’t,” Marinette argues and Alya groans beside her, flailing her body left and right,

“I mean, you  _really_ don’t! You’re always giving without getting! Granted you shouldn’t expect to get anything when you give generously, but seriously Mari, you’re a good person and you need to give yourself more credit.”

Reluctantly, she agrees and lets Alya pick out a cute outfit for their “double date”. The girl was far too nervous to pick out a reasonable ensemble whereas she could trust her best friend to find something decent looking.

“Marinette?”

She looks up into her blazing hazel eyes before she whispered.

“Smile more.”

“Oh hush,” Marinette sighs, “I smile enough.”

With that, the two girls continued their shopping spree with a common goal. In the end, Alya had picked out a beautiful white sundress that just so happened to compliment her new pair of tan sandals. She had never been happier with the outfit choice.

Her friend had left Marinette to get ready by herself sadly since she hadn’t been home since school ended.

So there Marinette sat in front of her vanity mirror, questioning whether she should apply makeup, or go all natural. She was unsure of what shape her face was in and the obscurity of the question didn’t matter to her. Usually, small petty situations like these didn’t register on her radar, but it was  _Adrien_. Adrien who didn’t speak to her after sophomore year until that one night in the club that she willingly let Alya drag her to. Nothing had made her feel more lively than living in that moment, not even when she was jumping off of rooftops as Ladybug.

She finally decided on no makeup, concluding that she felt too lazy to follow through with the entire process. Releasing her hair from its tight bun, she watched as it fell and framed her face. Marinette couldn’t get enough of her haircut; it was the best decision she ever made (hair wise). Not too long to make patrolling difficult, but short enough that she could still style it however she pleased.

On the thought of patrolling, she was upset that she wouldn’t be able to join Chat Noir, but she’s sure he would understand. He could handle it for one night.

Satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her purse and opened the door out of the room, opting to be on time instead of notoriously late.

“Marinette!” Her mother exclaimed as she walked down the fragile steps, “Where are you going looking so gorgeous?”

“Do I not look gorgeous normally?” She jokes and her mother smirks, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

“If you must know, I’m meeting Alya and the boys for a night out.”

“Just make sure you're home by 11.” She warns her. Marinette nods, hugging her before opening the front door to the bakery and beginning her walk down to the pizza place they agreed to meet at.

  
  


_______________________

  
  


Adrien's father didn't approve of him going to the movies (as predicted). But his father had no authority over Chat Noir.

He was fastening the last few buttons on his white dress shirt when Plagg flew beside him. siding on his shoulder.

“You know I’m all for sneaking out and having fun, but Adrien, your dad seemed pretty serious this time.”

“He sounds like that every time.” Adrien rolls his eyes, “Besides, it's just dinner, movies, and then going on patrol.”

“Ladybug won't be happy that you're late…” Plagg warns, and Adrien’s heart sinks. Ladybug. He had been so hypnotized by Marinette that he forgot about his sudden abandoned feelings for her.

“Did I do her an injustice?”

“Well I wouldn't say skipping patrol is that horrid of an offense--”

“No no,” He sighs, “I’ve just been so enraptured by Marinette, and everything I’ve done has been impulsive and just giving up on her after  _four years_ kind of feels like I’m just,  _throwing her away_.”

“Well,” His kwami looks up at him, “after four years, Ladybug only sees you as a friend.”

“But--”

“Adrien. Maybe Marinette is the key to accepting that rejection.”

His smile is long gone now, the gut feeling of embarrassment and disappointment in its place.

“Maybe,” He responds, “but…I won't know that if Chat Noir doesn't leave this mansion before seven.”

Plagg sighs, pretending to think through his options because he knows Adrien will wear him down otherwise.

“Fine.”

“Yes,” he grins, “Plagg, claws out!”

Adrien is enveloped in a flash of light and left behind as Chat Noir emerges from the magic remains.

“Let's go,” he grins, vaulting out of his bedroom window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the things i'm gonna do with adrien
> 
> such a sweet pure disney prince.


	3. FEEL REAL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the question of the day; are those feelings real, or is marinette loosing her mind?

Marinette stands in front of the pizzeria, waiting for the first person to come so they could request the table together. The young woman was far too awkward in social situations to go alone.  
  
She traced figures in the sidewalk with her right foot, biting her lip as she sincerely began to focus on the mediocre task she was completing. The girl almost lost herself in drawing an eye when a cheery voice interrupted her focus.  
  
“Marinette?”  
  
She turns only to find herself staring straight into the never-ending emerald irises that only belonged to one man.  
  
_Agreste._  
  
Marinette fought to regain her composure and she prepared herself to greet him.  
  
“A-Adrien?” She questioned, looking for his usual companion, “Where's Nino?”  
  
“Good to see you too,” he chuckles nervously and Marinette shakes her head, denying his assumption.  
  
_Nice one, Mari._  
  
“But if you must know--”  
  
“No no! It's good to see you too!” She quickly corrects herself, “It's just that you two are usually together, that's all.”  
  
He grins, reaching around to scratch the back of his neck,  
  
“Well uh, Nino just called and said his family is keeping him behind,” Adrien blushes, “I was going to tell you, but you didn't really give me a chance to say so.”  
  
“I--” Marinette groans, rubbing her forehead, “I’m so sorry; I’m just such a mess--”  
  
“It's okay,” his grin grows wider, to the young woman’s surprise, “we’ll just wait for Alya if that's alright with you.”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
She grins back nervously, just as her phone rings loudly in her pocket. Marinette excuses herself, face burning as she turns around and answers the phone.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
_“Girl, it's me.”_  
  
“ _Please_ tell me you're on your way because--”  
  
_“About that; I was just grounded.”_  
  
“You were just _what._ ”  
  
_“I don't clean Mari, what can I say.”_ She sighs over the phone, _“My mom is_ really _mad at me and she's not letting me be social outside of school for a week. Imagine what will happen to the Ladyblog if I can get patrolling shots?!”_  
  
“Okay; Alya, I’m here with Adrien, and Nino can't make it either.”  
  
_“Wait; Nino isn't going?”_  
  
“He got caught up with family.”  
  
_“So what you're telling me is that I set you up with Adrien without even_ trying?! _”_ She squeals so loud that Marinette has to move the phone from her ear.  
  
_“Okay okay,”_ she moves her phone back to her ear in time to hear, _“getting grounded was worth it then.”_  
  
“Alya what do I do?!” Marinette exclaims quietly, looking over at Adrien, who is leaning against a light post and looking like a Greek god, “I’m here with Adrien alone for the entire night! I was counting on you!”  
  
_“And now you have him all to yourself!”_ Alya argues, _“Take advantage, and land one on the lips before the night ends!”_  
  
“But I--”  
  
_“I have to go; The only advice I can give you is to channel your inner beast; be_ Ladybug _.”_  
  
“Ladybug?”  
  
_“Ladybug. Good luck babe! Text me about everything later!”_  
  
The phone hangs up and Marinette stands in the middle of the sidewalk, Adrien behind her and endless possibilities of escape in front of her. Despite the urge to settle with the latter, Marinette takes her friend’s parting words to heart and turns around.  
  
_Be. Ladybug._  
  
“Looks like it's just the two of us.” She smiles uneasily as Adrien shrugs, walking closer to her.  
  
“Then let's eat; I’m starving.”  
  
They both walk towards the pizzeria, and Marinette has to use every muscle in her body to stop herself from fainting when Adrien held the door open for her. She can’t remember the last time any boy their age held a door for someone.

 

_______________________

 

 _An entire night out with Marinette._ Adrien didn't think that it would work out this well in his favor. He's notoriously known for bad luck as Chat Noir, and he wouldn't exactly say his civilian life is that bright and shiny either. Hell, he has to sneak out of his house to see his friends eighty-five percent of the time.  
  
Marinette sits across from him, legs crossed and eyes straight down on the menu. She's nervous. He knows, and he wishes that she wasn't. He just doesn't know what it is about him that scares her. Was it his name?  
  
“Uh,” Adrien begins to speak, determined to get to the bottom of this, “not to be rude, but we’ve been friends for three years.”  
  
“A-And?”  
  
His hand reaches over to push down the menu,  
  
“So why can’t you look at me?”  
  
Her cheeks flare profoundly as she tries to grab the menu from his hands, but he holds it back.  
  
“A-Are you afraid of me? If it's my father then I’m sorry, I wish I could change that…or if it’s the misunderstanding from sophomore year--”  
  
“Adrien.”  
  
He looks back at Marinette, who has stopped trying to grab the menu back and instead looks at him with concern washing over her eyes, “I don't…I’m not afraid of you. Sophomore year is long forgiven, and I’ve never even _met_ your father.”  
  
“Then what is it?”  
  
“I’m just…” she sighs, “a mess?”  
  
“You can say that again,” Adrien agrees, “I had to sneak out just to get across the street tonight.” He takes a long sip of his water, rolling his eyes before placing it down beside him, “And that’s a _normal_ occurrence.”  
  
“No way,” Marinette giggles, “why?”  
  
“Because my father is, what does everyone say these days…fucking mental.”  
  
“Ha,” she smirks, “at least you're not the reason your entire kitchen had to be redesigned.”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“Lots of tripping, and crashing, and horrible things.” She grins sheepishly, the waiter’s arrival interrupting their conversation. They both order drinks and one large pizza for them to share before he leaves them alone once again.  
  
“So what I’m hearing,” Adrien inquires, “is that we are both equally messes, but in different ways.”  
  
“Well according to you, your life outside of you is a mess, but in my case, I’m the one that creates the mess.”  
  
“I can’t see it,” he shrugs, “Yes, you’ve been seen as clumsy over the past few years, but I can’t see you as ‘Destroyer of All’.”  
  
“Oh trust me, there’s a chance that I could mess up more than just my everyday life.”  
  
She stops abruptly as if she’s said too much. Reaching for her glass, Marinette sips the water quietly, avoiding Adrien’s piercing eyes. He wants to know what she means, he wants to push, but he knows that the harder he pushes, the more she’ll back away.  
  
“So Mari,” he decides to change the subject, “what are your plans after school?”  
  
“Fashion internship, if I can find it,” she explains, “if not, I’ll just go to university.”  
  
“I knew you were into designing,” Adrien replies, reminiscing over the derby hat competition two years ago, “but I didn’t know the passion was that intense.”  
  
“Yep,” Marinette genuinely beams for the first time all night, nerves temporarily washed away, “I’ve wanted to pursue a career in fashion since I was seven. Yes, you need to be sturdy and good on your feet when you’re a model, but not when you’re _making_ the clothes.”  
  
“This is true,” Adrien raises his eyebrows, “but I must disagree.”  
  
“Oh God,” Marinette sighs before laughing, “what now?”  
  
“I think you would make a perfect model.”  
  
Adrien’s first attempt at wooing her tonight. He succeeded in breaking the ice, yes, but he wanted Marinette to know that he wanted _more_ out of this. If she didn’t know that by tonight, then he failed.  
  
“Thanks,” she still smiles, her cheeks rosy, “but I’m not cut out for it.”  
  
“You don’t know unless you try,” Adrien insists as their food and drinks come. They dig in, the conversation they were engaged in still lingering between them. The Agreste man surely couldn’t see this night going down a negative path. He was enjoying himself, and every minute spent with Marinette made sneaking out more worthwhile.  
  
He could see them doing this every night. Maybe it was his naivety speaking for him, but he could easily imagine dating her. Adrien wasn’t sure how he had overlooked her since meeting her. Marinette was funny, hardworking, sweet, and independent. He didn’t see her cower to anybody in their school (mainly Chloe), she stood up for what was right and just, not to mention selflessly defending her friends and family as well. Marinette was a _package,_ to say the least.  
  
And not to mention, she was also insanely beautiful. Adrien loved looking at her loose stringed curls and admiring the way they framed her petite facial structure. His eyes fell on her summer freckles, knowing that some girls’ freckles were only visible due to excessive time in the sun.  
  
“So what about you Adrien?” She asks suddenly, snapping him out of his daydream.  
  
“What about me?”  
  
“What are your plans for afterward?”  
  
Oh god.  
  
What _were_ his plans?  
  
“I…I’m not sure.” He mutters, “My father usually has control over that sort of thing.”  
  
“But what about _you_?”  
  
“Get the hell out of modeling,” Adrien says almost immediately and Marinette laughs at his sudden outburst.  
  
“So quick to leave?”  
  
“I was forced to do it for a long time. My father is obsessed with image, and having his son model for his fashion agency is part of that.”  
  
“What do you want to pursue after you quit?” Marinette asks.  
  
“I’ll _never_ be able to quit,” Adrien shoots back, but the dark haired girl stops him.  
  
“Then let's make it a hypothetical. Hypothetically, if you could quit, what would the next step be?”  
  
“Since I’ll have access to my trust fund, but a _home_.”  
  
“But you have one!”  
  
“The mansion is a cold lifeless building. I want to live in a _home_.”  
  
“I can understand that on a spiritual level,” she nods, “what else?”  
  
“Apply to a normal university with normal students that live normal lives. My life may not be normal, but this is my first night in a long time that I feel normal.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because I’m with you.”  
  
“But I’m not normal…at least I hope I’m not.”  
  
“No, you're extraordinary in your own way. But everything around me is abnormal. I just don't get why people wish for something out of the ordinary. It stresses me, exhausts me.”  
  
“No one wants to be normal. Adrien your life is stressful but you _stand out_. It's incredible, and one of the great things about you.”  
  
Marinette smiles, cheeks colored normally, a friendly coat on the conversation. Adrien literally can't get enough.  
  
“But…but other than that I would probably study sciences.”  
  
He didn’t realize he had stopped eating until Marinette jokingly pointed out that he indeed put his pizza down.  
  
“What, is it not good?” She chuckles, knowing that the pizza was indeed delicious.  
  
“Sorry,” He grins apologetically, “I was just so engaged at the time.”  
  
“No problem,” she smiles back at him, “happens to me all the time.”  
  
“Good, I’m not alone.”  
  
Marinette reaches for her straw, turning the ice around in her cup.  
  
“So, what movie do you want to see?”  
  
“Oh,” she looks at her phone, “I meant to tell you; if you want to go home, because of your father and all, it’s alright…”  
  
“No,” he stops her abruptly, “I’m having a good time with you. No way am I going to let the looming thought of my father ruin that.”  
  
“I like the sound of that,” Marinette nods her head, “I say we pick spontaneously when we get there.”  
  
“What if it’s already starting?” Adrien asks as he finishes his pizza.  
  
“Then I guess we’ll have to run.”  
  
His heart is pounding out of his chest due to Marinette’s confidence boost. He counts out the money in his palm, ready to pay until Marinette grabs his wrist suddenly.  
  
“I want to pay.”  
  
“Marinette,” he chuckles, “I got it.”  
  
“No,” she smirks, holding out exact change and placing it on the table before he can even finish counting out their total, “I _had_ it before you even thought about it.”  
  
And with that, she grabs her jacket and walks out of the pizzeria. Adrien resembled a lovesick puppy as he followed the confident bubbly girl to the movie theater, wondering how he could possibly get to the end of the night.  
  
Lucky for them, the movie theater had a showing for a movie that started in 5 minutes. Since Marinette paid for dinner, Adrien covered tickets and snacks. Together, they entered the dark theater, both of them unsure of where the second half of their outing would take them.  
  
It had been ten minutes since they settled in one of the back corners of the theater. Adrien’s heart was pounding out of his chest, being that Marinette was _much_ closer to him than she was in the restaurant. He could reach over and stroke her cheek if he wanted to.  
  
And he _could_.  
  
So he did.  
  
His fingertips grazed Marinette’s left cheek ever so slightly, guiding her to his face.  
  
“Marinette…”  
  
Her eyes widened slightly as he shifted his body closer. _Now_ was the time. He needed to feel her lips _now._ The temptation was eating him alive, screaming in his mind as he leaned closer to her.  
  
“Adrien I--”  
  
The blonde’s movements were suddenly halted by an ear-piercing scream. The kind of scream he hadn't heard in months.  
  
An akuma scream.  
  
His head darted towards the emergency exit doors, where he saw people already darting out. He looked back to his date who, to his surprise, was fully attentive to the sound. Both of them got up abruptly, following the crowds down the aisle and out the double doors.  
  
When they’re both backs outside, Adrien sees it's not an akuma. In fact, it's a crowd. Cameras are already at the scene, snapping away. Reporters from all labels had somehow made their way here as well, more still coming. Both of the teenager's eyes shift to the movie theater wall, where words beyond their wildest assumptions lie scrawled on the building’s wall. The sudden haste all made sense.

**HAWKMOTH WILL RETURN**

It's written in huge capital letters, practically screaming at them. Adrien suddenly feels hot in his loose clothing, his head pounding when the sudden realization that the graffiti says ‘Hawkmoth will return’ on it.  
  
Marinette seems to be in shock as well. So much it seems that neither of them realizes they’d been holding hands this entire time. The only person who seems to take notice is a nearby photographer.  
  
“Hey! You two!”  
  
They turn abruptly to the aggressive photographer who almost immediately starts snapping pictures of them.  
  
“Hey!” Adrien shouts, pushing the lens away, “What’s the big idea?”  
  
“Your shocked faces would have been perfect for the front cover!” He groans, “We’re trying to focus on witness reactions.”  
  
“Well, could you maybe not?” Adrien asks as he realizes that Marinette abruptly lets go of his hand.  
  
“Apologies Agreste boy,” the photographer rolls his eyes, stomping away as Adrien internally groans.  
  
“Marinette,” He turns to her, “I should probably go home now. I’m so sorry I’m cutting it short--”  
  
“No no,” Marinette whispers, seemingly paralyzed by the writing on the wall, “I agree. We should go home to our families.”  
  
“Right,” he grins, ignoring the fact that he was indeed going to go meet Ladybug _right now_ , “I’ll catch up though; text you when I get back?”  
  
“Of course,” she gives him a friendly side smile, “same here. Bye…”  
  
Adrien feels like he should do something, so he leans in and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before running away. Little did he know, Marinette was bolting the opposite way.

 

________________________

  
“The culprit behind the graffiti has been apprehended and is now being brought in for questioning. But to continue our exclusive, we have here the group that influenced this act of rebellion.”  
  
Nadia Chamak stands with a group of people in front of the movie theater, all of them dressed in purple t-shirts.  
  
“Yes hello,” a short Chinese woman begins the conversation, “we are part of an organization that fully supports the actions of Hawkmoth.”  
  
“If you don't mind me asking, why are you siding with the man that has terrorized Paris and Ladybug and Chat Noir directly?”  
  
“We have _no clue_ who Ladybug and Chat Noir are. For all we know, they're a pair of kids, running around aimlessly with the powers of _creation_ and _destruction_ at the tips of their fingers! We believe that Hawkmoth has the right idea here; the miraculous jewels must be with someone that has full knowledge of them, and he obviously _does_.”  
  
“We as a society believe that Chat Noir and Ladybug should surrender their jewels to Hawkmoth.”  
  
“But Ladybug and Chat Noir have been spending the past three years saving us. How can you defend this knowing that?”  
  
“We don't _know_ them, therefore why should we trust them? Who’s to say they won't turn on us later on down the road?”  
  
“But how do you know Hawkmoth won't use the jewels for his own personal gain?”  
  
“Hawkmoth has expressed in now way to his akumatized victims _why_ he wants their powers back. For all we know, they _stole_ them from him! We will remain by our stance until proven otherwise.”  
  
The reporter continues to pry and the activist group continues to fight, but it's too much to bear. Marinette is in distress, to say the least. Tikki floated beside her as they watched the news coverage. It seemed that a group of people had decided to promote Hawkmoth’s return due to the mystery surrounding Ladybug and Chat Noir.  
  
And Adrien tried to _kiss her_. She had realized throughout the date that Adrien was in no place for dating. He had so many unresolved skeletons, and Marinette felt it was wrong of her to pursue him while he had so much on his plate. So, of course, the minute she let's go of her crush and sees him as a friend, he tries to kiss her.  
  
_Good._  
  
“Tikki,” Marinette gets up, beginning to pace back and forth, “this is a _disaster_.”  
  
“Marinette you need to keep control of your emotions,” Tikki warns her, “don't make this into something bigger than it is.”  
  
“They don't trust us!” She exclaims, “After three _years_ of saving Paris, they don't trust us with our own powers?!”  
  
“Marinette…”  
  
“And Adrien tried to kiss me as _soon_ as I realized that we couldn't be anything more than friends!”  
  
“Mari--”  
  
“And who _knows_ what the hell is going to happen with this Hawkmoth _fan club--_ ”  
  
“Marinette!”  
  
She stops pacing and looks at Tikki.  
  
“Hawkmoth’s miraculous is still hidden, right?”  
  
“Right,” she sighs.  
  
“It's been six months, and we _still_ haven't heard from him in any way until this group came up,” She continues, “so _relax._ ”  
  
“I’m sorry,” she sighs, rubbing her forehead before putting her hair in a bun, “I still think we should have given it to the Great Guardian and Wayzz. They would know what to do better than Chat and I.”  
  
“That's where Hawkmoth got it the first time,” Tikki reminds her as she finishes pinning up her hair and applying chapstick to her chapped lips, “it wouldn't be smart of us to make the same blunder.”  
  
“Right,” she sighs, “are you ready?”  
  
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Tikki says cheerfully, despite the situation.  
  
“Good,” Marinette stands up, “we have to see Chat Noir.”  
  
“Alright then, let's go!"

“Tikki spots on!”

 


	4. STRUGGLE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the struggle to keep control is on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of short this time, sorry :| BUT:
> 
> *wink wink*

Ladybug lands gracefully on the Eiffel Tower, Chat Noir standing by and watching her land. He's leaning against one of the pillars, his head tilted up towards the stars.  
  
“It's been quite a night, hasn't it?” He chuckles, still looking at the night sky.  
  
“Good thing it's still beautiful out,” Ladybug retorts, walking up beside him, “but uh, we have an issue.”  
  
“Yeah, no kidding,” Chat closes his eyes, “But the first order of business, very very important; Hawkmoth has _fans?_ ”  
  
She giggles, Chat Noir’s humor already letting her unwind into his company, “Seems so.”  
  
“Well I guess _anyone_ can have fans then.” he rolls his eyes.  
  
“But on a more serious note, we can't have the public thinking that Hawkmoth is coming back or that we’re not doing our jobs.”  
  
“But who cares what the public thinks?” Chat argues, “We know we’re not going to turn on our own city, and we know what kind of threat Hawkmoth is. Here, it's like…we’re the parents and they're the kids. They'll get it when they're older.”  
  
“I mean…” She can't find a reason to disagree. It seemed that Chat Noir was leaving her speechless both as Marinette and as Ladybug.  
  
“What we’re doing is for the good of Paris,” he reminds her, “whether they know it or not, we’ve been at this for four years, and our allegiance isn't going to just _shift_.”  
  
“I…I just have to see.”  
  
She runs away from the front view of the tower, making her way to the back. Chat Noir follows, knowing exactly what she’s checking.  
  
“I just have to see if it’s still there…” She mumbles the words so quietly that Chat can barely hear her. Her hands brush away what is seemingly loose wiring to reveal their secret trap door. Ladybug pulls it open, relief consuming her as she and her feline partner feast their eyes upon Hawkmoth’s safely guarded miraculous.  
  
The last time they had checked was three months ago before Chat Noir had to depart due to a trip he was taking in his human form. Marinette sadly had to admit; she was bored without him during patrols.  
  
“See?” He nods to the butterfly clip before closing the trap door and walking away promptly, “We’re still okay. Tonight was just a little setback. Those activists are _insane_ for believing in Hawkmoth, of all people.”  
  
“But doesn’t it bother you?” She asks, following him back, “That after four years of nonstop hard work to protect Paris, they just throw it back in your face, questioning the integrity you’ve been demonstrating this entire time?”  
  
“My kwami didn’t tell me that I would get something back for taking this job,” Chat says, sitting back down where they were, “did yours?”  
  
“No…” Marinette says stubbornly, thinking back to when Tikki was giving her the rundown on how to be Ladybug all those months ago.  
  
“It’s just part of what we do,” He sighs, “we give our all, whether we like it or not.”  
  
“You’re very wise today,” Ladybug sits beside him, her heart suddenly beating faster.  
  
“I guess you could say I’ve been growing up a little M’Lady,” he smiles, “you’ll be happy about that.”  
  
“I love you just the way you are Chaton,” she confesses, leaning on his shoulder. He sits up, wrapping an arm around her small body. Marinette gulps, suddenly tense in his hold.  
  
“I’m glad we became friends during these four years,” he whispers, “you’re an amazing woman.”  
  
“Chat…” Her cheeks redden faster than Adrien could ever cause them to, and she feels a pulsing in her lower regions. God _damn_ , what was happening to her?  
  
“You’re amazing too Chat,” she compliments him sincerely, “you managed to talk me down when I was furious and afraid at the same time. That takes true talent.”  
  
“That’s funny because I never thought I would see you afraid.”  
  
“Mmm, I have my moments.”  
  
Silence falls over them as they look out into the night sky. Usually, Marinette is on edge, ready for anything that could possibly happen to them this high on the Eiffel Tower. But tonight was different.  
  
And to her surprise, it's because of Chat Noir.  
  
Since the night he had visited her as Marinette, she had a twinge in her heart. It would present itself whenever she would think of him, or if somebody uttered his name in a conversation. Hell, she would see black paired with green and her thoughts would immediately float to _anything_ that had to do with him.  
  
“Ladybug…I have to tell you something.”  
  
_Oh, Lord._  
  
She looks up, giving him a nod as he leans against his other arm.  
  
“I…I think I’ve found someone.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“I mean like, someone I want to pursue. Romantically. B-But there's an issue.”  
  
“What?” Marinette asks, hoping, praying, practically _begging_ that the universe would do her a solid and give her a chance at something new.  
  
“She's a citizen.”  
  
God _damn it_.  
  
Marinette’s hopes are entirely crushed when she hears that she was basically too late in pursuing a relationship with Chat Noir. Immediately, she regretted not playing along with his playful yet sincere flirting.  
  
“She's…a citizen?”  
  
“Yes,” he continues, “and I-I know it's dangerous for me and for her but if it even _works out_ , I’d make sure she knew what she was in for and that I’d have her consent and--”  
  
“Chat,” she suddenly laughs, perhaps from paranoia, or maybe the pure fondness for her partner, “it's okay.”  
  
“Sorry,” he grins sheepishly, “I just know how you get with these things.”  
  
“No no no,” she stops him, “Chat, don't depend on my approval.”  
  
“Come on Bug; you…you’re my best friend. Your opinion matters the most to me.”  
  
“Then _do it_. Don't hold back.” She wanted to choke as the words left her mouth, but this was the right thing to do, “If you feel confident, then you have my approval.”  
  
“Thank you,” he grins, “I-In fact, I’m going to see her right now, if that's alright?”  
  
“It's quiet tonight,” she shrugs, “I’m quite tired, so I think I’ll head home as well.”  
  
“Okay,” he smiles at her as they both get up from their previous positions. He retrieves his baton as she disconnects her yo-yo from her waist.  
  
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” She asks, leaning up and planting an unexpected kiss on his cheek. Sadly, Chat Noir shows no signs on fluster. He had completely lost affection for her. She couldn't say that it didn't hurt.  
  
“Tomorrow,” He grins, giving her a wave before extending his baton to the ground. In mere seconds, he's gone.  
  
Ladybug sighs, winding up her yo-yo and swinging far out into the city.  
  
_Well, Marinette, which love interest are you going to deprive yourself of next?_  
  
She launches herself far from where she and Chat had their confessional. All the girl wanted was to get home and sleep until she forgot this entire night.  
  
It wasn't long before she landed on the roof of the bakery. She opened her skylight, letting herself down before transforming back to Marinette. Tikki flew up beside her, concern written all over her features.  
  
“‘Marinette…I could feel that heartbreak tonight.”  
  
“How?” She asks Tikki, knowing that she’s never been able to feel what she feels through the suit.  
  
“Have you ever wondered why Hawkmoth has never akumatized you? Not even an attempt?”  
  
“I figured it was because of the magic of the suit.”  
  
“That, and our job as yours and Chat Noir’s kwamis is to make sure that you’re as _positive_ as humanly possible.”  
  
“I mean, I have been upset here and there.”  
  
“But that’s why it’s also the power we hold that keeps you safe.”  
  
“Tikki, I’m fine. I promise,” she sighs, fingering the material of her white dress from earlier, “I just need a bath.”  
  
“No problem,” Tikki smiles, “I’ll give you some privacy.”  
  
Her kwami disappears downstairs for the night. Marinette knows that her parents won't be able to find Tikki in her designated hiding place between bookshelves, so she lets herself mentally unwind.  
  
She reaches for the back of her dress, wishing to unzip it and strip it off her body, but for some reason, today she just can't seem to reach it.  
  
Marinette grunts as she leans against her dresser, trying to reach a different angle with no success. She lays on the floor, switches arms, even ends up doing an inhuman back bend. It just seemed that the zipper was going to win tonight.  
  
She was just about to give up and risk ripping the dress in order to remove it, but a tap on her window interrupts her thoughts. Turning as much as she can without revealing her predicament, her jaw drops at the sight before her.  
  
Chat Noir.  
  
He was visiting her.  
  
_He left patrol to visit Marinette._  
  
_Marinette._  
  
Her hand detaches from the zipper, the front dropping back down and revealing the curves of her breasts more than she would have liked. Marinette unlocked the window almost immediately, letting Chat Noir crawl through her window.  
  
“Kitty?” She questions, trying to make it seem as if she hadn't seen him _twenty minutes ago._  
  
“Marinette, right?” He grins, seating himself on her bed, “nice to see you again.”  
  
“You too,” Marinette manages to utter. She can't breathe. Chat Noir was on her bed, and she could already feel the pools of arousal washing over her. She wanted to smack herself for not realizing how attractive her leather clad partner actually was. The suit did his body wonders and Marinette’s filthy mind was traveling to places that should be forbidden.  
  
Marinette’s sex life was nonexistent, more or less. Her sex drive happened to be insanely high when in the mood (like right now), but it always had nowhere to go. Pining after Adrien for three years didn’t leave her with much experience in these compromising situations.  
  
Though despite the circumstances, she tried to regain control. This wasn't like her, and she needed to be as collected as humanly possible right now.  
  
“Why are you here?” She asks instead of jumping on top of him.  
  
“To see you,” he smirks, “otherwise, I’d be here for bread. And I think the bakery is closed…is right?”  
  
“Mhm.” She rolls her eyes, some of her witty confidence returning, “Anything else? I’m very tired.”  
  
“Oh,” Chat suddenly blushes, realizing his intrusion, “I’m so sorry--”  
  
“It's whatever,” she grins at him, trying to cover up any nerves she may or may not have, “I can't get out of this stupid dress anyway.”  
  
And she wishes she hadn't brought attention to the dress because now he was looking. _Looking_ looking, that is. His eyes traveled from her now defined breasts, down to her shaven legs, then _back up_ to her chest. He had completely checked her out and tried to not make a big deal out of it, but no way was Marinette going to miss that.  
  
“Why can't you get out of it?”  
  
“Zipper,” she points, and his eyes follow, “can't pull it today, I dunno why.”  
  
“Do you want me to…?”  
  
Marinette could feel herself pulsing in her now wet underwear.  
  
Wait wait wait wait _wait_.  
  
What…was happening to her.  
  
“Sure,” she answers hesitantly, turning around and feeling her thighs rub against each other. She has to bite her lip to hold herself back.  
  
She feels Chat Noir’s body heat beside her almost immediately as he reaches for the metal zipper attached to her pure white dress. It was almost a metaphorical beauty, his impurity clashing with her raw innocence. The roughness of his claws is the least of her worries as he rests one hand on her shoulder as the other drags her zipper down.  
  
The cold air suddenly hitting Marinette's back causes her to shiver, which snowballs into Chat Noir’s breath to hitch quietly in his throat.  
  
She backs up, unknowingly gravitating back towards the man behind her. The girl was struggling to resist Chat, and all she wanted to do was just _give in._  
  
But she knew that giving in wouldn’t bring her any good will. Marinette, who was trying not to get her hopes up _again_ , didn't expect anything else to happen. She had simply made an elaborate plan in her mind to masturbate in the shower after he had left.  
  
Then in that moment any thought whatsoever had flown out of the other side of her brain as soon as she felt the hero’s lips peck the skin behind her ear. Marinette’s eyes closed as she grips Chat Noir’s now dangling wrist. His lips trail down her neck, his mouth opening wider as he got closer to her collarbone. Marinette could feel the heat from his mouth as he pushes her short locks of hair aside, desiring a better angle at her skin.  
  
Marinette was practically dripping in her panties now, desperation for Chat Noir more evident as her steady breathing began to come out in strangled pants. The easy access to the rest of her body wasn't helping either, and she just wanted him to _take her_.  
  
But just as soon as their instance had started, it had ended. She was fully unwinded, leaning back into him as he planted one final kiss on what Marinette didn't even have to guess was a hickey. He took the liberty of leading her to her bed before standing before her, now shy as ever.  
  
“I…I have no idea why I did that.” He sighs, “I’m so sorry.”  
  
“You should be.” Marinette suddenly wants him to regret not going further, so she proceeds to partially spread her legs letting her fingers wander close to where her wet pulsing sex was (thanks to _him_ ). “You made me want more.”  
  
His face flares an alarming shade of red as he fights to look her straight in the eyes.  
  
“P-perhaps…next time?” It sounds like he can barely say it, but she nods regardless. She gets up, walking away from the bed and to her vanity.  
  
“Next time then. You’re going, I assume?”  
  
“You should sleep,” he says, opening the skylight and extending his baton, “now that you're…”  
  
“Out of the dress?”  
  
Marinette almost pleasantly shocks herself by dropping the dress entirely, purely just for the sake of teasing. But she refrains, knowing she's done enough.  
  
“Yeah. Well uh, good night Marinette.”  
  
“Goodnight, Chat Noir.”  
  
He disappears, shutting the skylight behind him. Marinette sighs, dropping the dress and looking at herself in her tall mirror against the bathroom door.  
  
Whatever happened tonight that made her so coquettish, and a downright _tease_ had to happen again.  
  
Marinette closes her eyes, wishing that she hadn't let him leave; that she hadn't blatantly ignored her partner for the past few years. He truly was more than a flirt, and now she wanted him.

She knew she would never make that mistake again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no regrets whatsoever, unlike marinette over here. like if we're going to be completely honest here if cat boy arrived in my life i would've snatched him up already????


	5. CHOICE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's all about choices; adrien forgets about all the choices he knows he's going to have trouble making, meanwhile, marinette approaches a question concerning chat noir she knew was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is SO LONG.  
> enjoy.

Adrien basically falls through his window as he transforms back into his human self, Plagg flying away from him immediately. He hadn't remembered that he would know exactly what was going on while he was within the ring. Meaning, he could probably feel Adrien’s arousal as well.  
  
“I, will be downstairs,” he announces, “take care of your boner in an hour, _tops_ , and _then_ we will talk.”  
  
Plagg is out of the room as soon as he came in, and Adrien still lies on his bedroom floor, dazed beyond comparison. His eyes are blown out, his breathing frantically out of control. Despite being so far away from her, he could still feel his raging girth under his jeans and burning red cheeks.  
  
He was so close. Closer than he had been at the movie theater, for sure. All thanks to a stuck zipper. Adrien wasn’t quite sure how to label the situation; a success, a failure, or maybe it wasn’t anything at all.  
  
The blonde staggered to his feet, scrambling to window and sticking his head out, sighing as the fresh cool air hit his face. A smile snuck up on him when he leaned his head down against his shoulder. Adrien wasn’t often lucky in his life, but tonight he felt almost as lucky as Ladybug.  
  
Not only did he get his partner’s approval of a relationship with a civilian, he managed to share a moment with Marinette. Granted it was more of a sexual type, but he was going to take what he could get tonight.  
  
Adrien ponders on the thought of his father momentarily, wondering if he had indeed caught him sneaking out. He might as well check if he's even awake.  
  
His head pokes out into the dark brooding hallway, his eyes barely adjusting from the change in lighting.He squints his eyes tightly, trying to see if his father was in his study. No lights seemed to be on, so Adrien thankfully entertained the idea that he got away with sneaking out flawlessly.  
  
The door shuts quietly as he nods to himself triumphantly, patting himself on the back. He had a date with a beautiful girl, which then turned into a sexy dream-worthy endeavor with said girl as Chat Noir, and his father’s attempts to get in the way failed after all.  
  
Adrien wasn't against calling tonight a success.  
  
But alas, his positive outlook is interrupted by his kwami, who is stuffed with cheese and filled with concern for his charge.  
  
“Adrien,” he starts, “you did it. Again.”  
  
“I know,” he bites his lip, “but I have a plan.”  
  
“Oh,” Plagg smirks, “you have a plan?”  
  
“Yes. Adrien is going to woo her, but uh…Chat Noir--”  
  
“Already has her hot and bothered.” Plagg interrupts, “So that's not going to work Adrien.”  
  
“So I just--”  
  
“Look. I’m all for my charges finding love. But if you can't control yourself between Adrien and Chat Noir then I simply can't support this. You can't just…play with her heart like this. Going out with her as Adrien, and then seducing her as Chat Noir? You have to pick one Adrien.”  
  
“But--”  
  
“Unless you tell her, you're two different people, buddy. Act like it.”  
  
“Plagg stop treating me like a boy; I know what I’m doing!”  
  
“You're barely an eighteen-year-old boy who's never dated in his life! What makes you think you know anything now?!”  
  
Adrien is about to hit back with a blazing comeback, frustrated by the accusations made by Plagg, but their argument is interrupted by a flash of light in the sky. He quirked his head to the sky, looking further out and trying to confirm whether he’d seen fireworks, or something that could possibly be far worse. Paria wasn’t usually a quiet city, but fireworks of any kind were certainly uncommon at this time of year.  
  
“Plagg?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“How many blocks of cheese have you eaten?” He inquires.  
  
“I dunno, eight?”  
  
The small black cat just _loved_ his goddamned cheese, didn’t he?  
  
“Good; claws out.”  
  
The transformation consumes him and within seconds he’s Chat Noir again. With an extensive creak, his window opens as he pushes it forward. Leaping onto the thin metal barrier, he lengthens his baton to the ground before bounding towards the flashes of light he had spotted from that very window.

 

 

_____________________________

 

 

It doesn’t take Adrien long to get there. He moves like a shadow when he arrives to what was an abandoned warehouse. _Obviously_ not abandoned now because there were lights firing off here and there. He had no idea how far away he had strayed from home, his mind clouded with thoughts of Marinette and boiling curiosity that he was longing to explore.

  
His boots didn’t emit a sound as he crept up the building, claws digging into the walls. Part of him wonders if he should have contacted Ladybug before wandering into unknown territory, but he stops himself almost as quickly as the thought arises.  
  
_Ladybug isn’t my babysitter_ , Chat scolds himself. Though the spotted heroine was the more rational one between the two of them, he should be capable of investigating a suspicious area without her watchful eye.  
He hears voices and immediately regain focus. His target was inside; now wasn’t the time to be mentally arguing about Ladybug. Escalating up the structure faster, his haste and urgency to discover the truth increasing with every second he was farther from the crashing conclusion. No, it probably wouldn’t be such a big deal in the end, but he had this need to prove himself. To who? Maybe Ladybug, or maybe himself.  
  
_This is where all good superheroes tend to suffer_ , he thinks to himself before creeping up closer where he could see. He spotted two men through the rooftop window, both wearing expensive suits next to what looks like even more expensive machinery. Adrien knew the machine was where the flashes of lights were coming from, but he had never seen such complex machinery being produced in Paris before. It was more frightening than concerning; their city wasn't always the industrial type, and men like these were the people that gave Parisians a reason to sit up at night.  
  
“If used in the right way,” Adrien hears one of the men say, “any Miraculous holder should be rendered useless.”  
  
“Define useless.”  
  
“The victim will be rendered unconscious, and their transformation will be released. The charge and kwami will also be separated.”  
  
_Any Miraculous holder should be rendered useless._  
  
He has to mentally replay it before he can actually react.  
  
_Any Miraculous holder should be rendered_ ** _useless_** _._  
  
“For how long?”  
_  
What the hell was going on down there?_  
  
“Since we haven’t actually fired on a holder yet, we’re not sure.”  
  
The man turns, giving Chat Noir a better angle at his face. He was almost convinced he wouldn’t recognize either of the men targeting people who held Miraculous jewels, but his heart sunk as fast as his jaw dropped when the light hit the caucasian man’s face.  
  
None other than Gabriel Agreste stood before him.  
  
He backed up from the roof, stumbling over some loose debris before landing on his backside. His head was spinning and convulsing, his brain refusing to believe what his eyes had just seen.  
  
Yes, Adrien’s father was mean, and cruel. Maybe he would scream with Plagg about how much he despised the man, and perhaps he wished he had his mom with him every night Gabriel would strip him of a normal life. But did he think that he was capable of pure _evil_ in any way, shape or form?  
  
Not in a million years.  
  
“…Fire it off again.”  
  
Too engaged in the weapon, and the fact that his _father_ was the one behind the trigger, his brain doesn’t register that he needs to run _as soon as possible._  
  
His eyes stay peeled on the machine as it blasts another colorful explosion of light, but Adrien isn’t awake to see the end as his body falls limp on the roof, his head lolling to the side, and his suit emitting vibrations in warning. Both Adrien, and Plagg from within fall unconscious.

 

 

**six hours later - 05:06AM**

 

 

Adrien’s awake as soon as he can feel his heartbeat. He clutches his chest and looks out at the sunrise, every other thought soon filtered out of his mind.  
  
The seventeen-year-old had never seen a sunrise before, and with all of the unfortunate occurrences aside, he felt at peace looking at the mix of yellows, reds, and oranges.  
  
He was in love with it; it almost reminded him of his growing affection for his classmate.  
  
The mesmerizing instance was interrupted by Plagg’s concerned calls.  
  
“Adrien!” He calls the blonde’s name for the sixth time, “Adrien, we gotta go. I have no energy to transform you back.”  
  
“What happened?” He asks, his memories from last night slowly returning.  
  
“That bomb, light bomb, _whatever_ it was,” Plagg starts, “that's what happened. We have to tell Ladybug. Once Tikki knows, she’ll tell the Great Guardian, and then we can form a plan.”  
  
“Why are they attacking us?” Adrien’s still beyond surprised by the secrets he managed to uncover, “why…why is my father…”  
  
“Adrien.”  
  
Plagg’s voice is much softer now, the aggression in his voice long gone.  
  
“You need to forget this bias in favor of your father. Whatever he’s involved in, isn’t good.”  
  
“Plagg, my father isn’t a bad person! He must be in another sticky situation, that _has_ to be it--”  
  
“Adrien. Listen to me.”  
  
He stops rambling and looks him right in the eyes.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Gabriel may love Adrien, but he obviously doesn’t feel the same about Chat Noir.”  
  
His kwami was right, but Adrien couldn’t bring himself to believe it. His father had his flaws, yes, but he wouldn’t hurt a _fly_. Adrien was positive of it; everything the man did was to _protect_ him, granted some of it was unnecessary. He couldn’t see him being an evil tyrant; that would be putting his own son in danger.  
  
“Plagg…”  
  
“Let’s just get home before seven. If someone recognizes you’re gone, we’ll be in a lot more trouble.”  
  
“To them, you don’t exist.” Adrien reminds his kwami, now saddened, “I’ll be the only one getting in trouble in that situation.”  
  
“Either way,” he insists, “let’s go.”  
  
Adrien scales the building much more carefully this time around, the protection of his transformation now unavailable. The boy dusts himself off before looking up at his kwami and walking away from the building, the memory of their late night mission looming in the front of his mind.  
  
“Okay. Let’s go.”

 

 

________________________

 

 

  
Marinette overslept for the first time in her senior year of high school, and she wasn't adjusting well. She had practically convinced herself that she wouldn't be doing anything she used to in her past years. This included sleeping in.  
  
So much for that.  
  
Mind racing as fast as her feet were, she began her morning routine at a pace she would consider rather dangerous for someone as notoriously clumsy as her. The girl barely missed Tikki flying past her, alarm written all over the kwami’s face.  
  
“Marinette,” she says hastily, “aren't we going to talk about Chat Noir?”  
  
Marinette stops moving almost immediately.  
  
“You _saw?_ ”  
  
“I came up for a _second_ ,” she insists, “but I saw enough Mari.”  
  
“Tikki, I know it's dangerous territory.”  
  
“And I _trust_ that you'll remember that as you travel through the minefield. But as your kwami, I need you to know something.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I know who Chat Noir is.”  
  
Marinette’s frantic movements fall to a halt at Tikki’s words.  
  
“You…you know who Chat Noir is?”  
  
“Yes,” she fully admits, “I know his kwami, and I can feel his energy every time we’re near him.”  
  
“How long have you known?”  
  
“Since I met Chat Noir,” she explains, “I hope you're not upset, but this is budding thing you have for him is leaving me no choice. I’m not supposed to say anything _at all_ let alone this much. It's your destiny to find out who your partner is on your own terms.”  
  
“So wait,” Marinette sits down on the floor, fingers punching the skin on her forehead, “does Chat Noir's kwami know who I am?”  
  
“If he's perceptive enough, he should.”  
  
“You…Tikki…”  
  
“All I can say is if you choose to take this further than it went last night, then _please_ understand that it could cause issues in the future for you and him; with and without the mask.”  
  
“Do I know him?!”  
  
“I can't disclose that,” She warns.  
  
“Uuuuuuugh _Tikki,_ ” Marinette groans, falling back on the carpet, “this is so nerve-wracking now! Now I don't know what’s right or wrong… _and_ I have to hide this hickey?!”  
  
Marinette almost forgot about it in her haste, but there it was; purple and blue and deadly obvious in the crease of her collarbone.  
  
“There's one question you're missing,” Her kwami muses as she flies into her purse.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Is he worth the risk?”

 

 

_____________________

 

 

Adrien arrives at his front door at 7:01 AM. Nathalie is probably already knocking on his door, realizing that her pupil is in fact not there. He came across no cheese for Plagg, so he was unable to transform and sneak into his window at the last minute.  
  
“Well,” he exhales, realizing that there was no avoiding his father’s wrath today, “time for the beginning of the end.”  
  
“Adrien, you'll be alright.” Plagg attempts to console him, “your father can only do so much.”  
  
“You’d be surprised at what my father does when he approaches limits.”  
  
He steps up to the gate, left foot tapping against the sidewalk anxiously. The pad of his finger connects with the doorbell and his heart drops quicker than he had anticipated. The intercom crinkles before the urgent voice of Nathalie projects out into the streets.  
  
“Adrien?! Is that you?!”  
  
“Yes, it’s me,” He responds, inducing a sigh of tremendous relief. The gates open almost immediately, Plagg flying into Adrien’s inner shirt pocket and the vast doors of the mansions burst open.  
  
“Adrien!” She practically cries; a cry that was almost similar to one of a worried mother. But Adrien stopped those thoughts from invading.  
  
He knew the difference anyway.  
  
The assistant’s embrace knocks the wind out of him and he has to take a firm step back in order to save them both from falling. She’s whispering things in his ear close to being worried about him and almost calling the police when he wasn’t in his room, and he just lets her get it all out before he speaks.  
  
“Nathalie?” He asks as she tenderly pulls away, “Could we uh… not mention this to my father?”  
  
“As long as you don’t mention that I forgot to check on you last night,” She whispers, “lucky for us, he called in late and said he wouldn’t be home until later today. He spent the night at the office.”  
  
Adrien’s mouth dries. He knew where his father was last night. Suddenly, he wondered how much information the man leaked to _Nathalie_ about his whereabouts.  
  
“He never came home. So if you don’t tell, I won’t tell.”  
  
It was good enough for him.  
  
“Deal.” Adrien reaches out and shakes her small hand, hoping; no, _praying_ that his father wouldn’t pry into his mind.  
  
“Go upstairs and get dressed,” she concluded their brief interaction, but as Adrien walked into the house, Nathalie shouted out for him once again.  
  
“Yes?” He responds politely, though he desperately wants to run to his room.  
  
“The ticket is on your desk.”  
  
“What ticket?” He asks, scrunching up his face in uncertainty. Adrien didn't remember anything about a ticket…  
  
“For the gala; your father is hosting it for Fashion Week?”  
  
_Oh, God. That ticket._  
  
“Oh…” He whispers, biting his lip.  
  
“You were supposed to ask Chloe, remember?”  
  
“Yes, that's correct.” His lips flattened into a straight line.  
  
“You must do it today. Your father wants to send the guest list in this weekend.”  
  
“Sure sure,” he says absentmindedly, thoughts traveling to dark blue hair and starry eyes.  
  
“The gala is in three weeks, Adrien. I hope it's programmed in your schedule?”  
  
“It is.”  
  
“You also have a shoot after school, along with your first fitting of four.”  
  
“Yes Nathalie; I got it.”  
  
He shuts the looming front doors, leaning against them and falling down on his buttocks. Of course, Adrien had forgotten. How typical of him.  
  
Gabriel Agreste and André Bourgeois were the power team of Paris. Everyone knew that; from the press; to his classmates, and sadly Adrien himself.  
  
It would be considered uncommon for his father _not_ to request that Chloe be his date to an event as prestigious as this one. Adrien isn't sure how he forgot, considering that his father had been planning this for almost two years. This gala that he and Nathalie spoke happened to fall on his eighteenth birthday. The day they would announce his partnership with his father. Together, they would rule the Agreste empire.  
  
Not that he wanted that, after all. But as much as he’d convinced himself that his father would never be pleased with him to the point of pride, he pushed himself to keep trying. Even if it meant sitting beside him on the Agreste throne.  
  
So when he sees the silver ticket on his desk, awaiting Chloe’s wealthy rotten hands, he feels sick.  
  
Not sick because of his father, or his childhood friend, or because he’d been awake for 24 hours straight.  
  
But because when he looked at that silver ticket, he could only see himself placing it in Marinette’s hand.

 

 

________________________

 

 

Adrien staggered into the school building fifteen minutes later, head aching. He was still thankful for Nathalie keeping his early morning entrance between them. She hadn’t proved to be helpful when he had ran away to public school and she spilled to his father anyway.  
  
The last thing Adrien needed on top of a sleepless night filled with awful realizations was the man behind it yelling at him.  
  
When he walks into the classroom, the first person who makes a comment is Nino. Since their friendship had blossomed two years ago, he always seemed to be the first one to recognize when something was off. Whether it be a stray hair atop his head, or his entire facial demeanor drastically shifting, Nino had a mental intuitiveness. He just _knew_.  
  
“Whoa,” Is the initial comment that leaves his mouth as his clairvoyance begins to do the work for him, “what _happened_?”  
  
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Adrien attempts to stop Nino before he can actually _start_ today, “it was just a long night.”  
  
“It looks like a lot more than that,” Nino gasps, leaning closer to whisper in his ear, “is it a girl?”  
  
At the mention of the opposite sex, the blonde’s mind shifts to the gala ticket weighing him down with every step he takes.  
  
“No,” he eventually responds, “it’s not a girl.”  
  
“Are you sure? I heard things with Marinette worked out for the better last night.”  
  
That was _last night?_ Adrien can’t bring himself to believe that, since he’s already been up for more than 24 hours (including the time he was unconscious). The mention of Marinette leaves him in the grey areas of his mind, replaying the date they shared, the longing devouring her eyes that he just couldn’t shake. He’s absent long enough that Nino has to bring him back to the present.  
  
“It…” he sighs, “got cut short. The whole Ladybug and Chat Noir thing at the movie theater?”  
  
“Oh God! I forgot all about that! I could have been there too…”  
  
“Trust me,” Adrien rubs his forehead, “you didn’t want to be there.”  
  
“I just can’t fathom the fact that there’s a chance of Hawkmoth coming back! And after we had just shaken him off…”  
  
Now, _this_ is what Adrien hated about being in school. Hearing about his alter ego without being able to defend himself. Yes, Ladybug and Chat Noir have always been a cesspool for mixed reviews, but now there was a Hawkmoth activist group, their challenges would gradually become more difficult.  
  
“Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated him _six months_ ago.” Adrien emphasizes, “Just because there’s a group of people that think that Hawkmoth is doing the right thing doesn’t mean he’s coming back.”  
  
“But I mean he could, couldn’t he?” Nino questions, “Hawkmoth, whoever he is, hasn’t been proven to be dead or alive. You can’t just _cancel_ out the fact that he could still be alive, you know?”  
  
“Yeah. I know.”  
  
“But you’re right; it’s just an activist group.”  
  
“They should know that it's insane to support this psychopath!” Adrien suddenly goes off, “It's not like he's done anything for Paris anyway! They’re just afraid of a bunch of kids that hold the same powers he does! It's not like he's been using his abilities any less responsibly than Ladybug and Chat Noir!”  
  
“ _Whoa,_ ” Nino holds his hands up in surrender, “easy Agreste. I’m not for it whatsoever, but I’ve never seen you so heated about something…”  
  
“I just…I care about our well-being in Paris and whatnot,” he tries to cover up his flood of anger as overwhelming concern, but his best friend is more perceptive than he assumed.  
  
“But…why did you say Ladybug and Chat Noir are kids?”  
  
_Shit_.  
  
“B-Because they look pretty young, I dunno!” Adrien exclaims, his weakness obvious, “I just said kids because they look young enough to be… kids? You know, I-I don't see wrinkles when they fly by! It's so fast I can barely tell--b-but I know they're young. From when they fly by, so fast.”  
  
“Right…” Nino turns to his side, eyeing him suspiciously until his eyes catch other figures in the distance, “Hey, it’s Marinette and Alya. Bet you 20 that she’s telling Marinette about the movie theater incident.”  
  
His pulse quickens rapidly at the sight of her walking beside Alya, who is doing exactly what Nino said she would be doing; pestering her best friend about the events of last night. He knew that it must not be entertaining, due to the fact that she was there in person.  
  
Memories of his time with her as Chat Noir come back like a hurricane. He closed his eyes briefly as explicit images became the center of his attention. He didn’t have to venture to imagine dress barely clinging onto her voluptuous body, or the sensation of her soft hair against his cheeks as he kissed down her neck.  
  
He was drawn to the girl’s neck, noticing that her hair was expertly styled to hide the hickey Chat Noir had given her. Oh god.  
  
_He_ gave her that hickey.  
  
The sudden burning of his cheeks leaves Nino confused yet again. They both walk into class, not another word spoken between the two of them. Adrien just assumes that Nino is trying to read him for the truth.  
  
The late bell rings as Alya and Marinette dash in, smiles on their faces. Adrien wanted to know what she thought about the Ladybug ordeal. He couldn't see the girl wholeheartedly supporting Hawkmoth, but did she see Ladybug and Chat Noir as good people?  
  
Yes, they had their good moments when he was Chat Noir (obviously; he couldn't stop replaying it in his head anyway), but what if she was upset with his alter ego as well?  
  
“Students,” his teacher speaks and brings him back to his present setting, “today, you’ll be choosing your partners for the projects we talked about yesterday. They will be lasting throughout the school year, just as I said yesterday.”  
  
_Oh god_. Another decision-making process had slipped by Adrien. He barely even knew what the project was about, let alone who to pick.  
  
Though, by the time Mrs. Bustier is finished speaking, Chloe is beside him, making the job almost idiotically easy.  
  
“Adrien!” She exclaims, hugging him tight, “It feels like a _lifetime_.”  
  
“Yesterday…” he mutters, his exhaustion hitting its peak. The last thing he needed was Chloe’s overbearing personality wearing him out.  
  
Reminded of his father’s wishes, Adrien forces himself to warm up.  
  
“So Chloe,” he shifts away from her, “I need to talk to you about--”  
  
“I know,” she squeals and he cringes, “the banquet! Daddy told me; you don't need to ask. I’m in and you know it! I’ll just need the ticket…”  
  
His eyes wander up to Chloe as she sits in front of him talking on and on about her gala dress. This is what he needs to do. _This is how he finally pleases Gabriel Agreste._ But as tempting as the satisfaction is as it sits before him, he catches Marinette in his peripheral vision. Marinette, with the laugh as smooth as velvet and eyes more luminous  than the sun’s reflection off the ocean. Victory was in front of him, the prize of his father’s approval, for once. But Adrien can’t withstand the desirability trickling from the girl’s natural presence. Pursuing Chloe is what he needs to do, but it's sure as hell not what he wants. Adrien wants Marinette.  
  
There's a thin line between want, and need. Marinette landed right in the middle. And god _damn_ did it leave Adrien’s head spinning.  
  
So his feet swivel, much like they did when he caught that single glimpse of her in the night club. His body turns from Chloe, who is holding out her hand and waiting for the ticket that rested in his hand. Her gaze drops to that same hand that’s moving away from her and her eyes widen.  
  
He let’s his heart do the work in place of his brain as he glides up the stairs to where Marinette sits in the back of the classroom with Alya. Everything about this felt right. From the timing, to the sudden acceleration of his heart rate for the _second_ time today. This felt good; this felt right.  
  
Class notes and textbooks were spread out on their adjoined desk, the two of them conversing aimlessly. Adrien hated to interrupt, but his intuition was screaming at him at this point.  
  
He stopped in front of them, not a word leaving his lips. He stared at the back of Marinette’s head, paralyzed until Alys tapped on the girl’s shoulder, prompting her to turn around.  
  
Her cheeks shone a fiery deep red as her eyes met Adrien’s. He could see everything she was feeling through them. He could see her curiosity, her timidness, her overwhelming kindness and the sobriety of her personality.  
  
And suddenly, just like that, it was wrong. The moment was gone as soon as it came and Adrien was stuck in place. Just like that, it wasn't the right time. His mouth opens and closes like a fish, wishing words would come out even though silence was all that followed.  
  
“Adrien?” Marinette sits up, looking at him with concern. He can't imagine what his face probably looks like. Even Alya was beginning to give him a side eye.  
  
“Marinette, do you uh…”  
  
_Shit shit shit! What is he going to say?!_  
  
He looks down and the papers on her desk and improvises,  
  
“Do you want to be my partner? For the project?”  
  
He shoves the silver ticket in his pocket. Out of sight, out of mind.  
  
Until he can figure out what the hell to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh this has potential to be my favorite chapter; not gonna lie here kiddies.


	6. HOMECOMING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> home is where the heart lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you all have been enjoying this! all the support is appreciated and i'm glad to continue writing!
> 
> dropping this overdue chapter via iphone! so if there are mistakes don't worry; i'll catch them on my computer tomorrow ;-;

“He certainly made asking you to be his partner a bigger deal than it should have been.”  
  
“Maybe he was nervous?” Marinette tried to defend him while desperately trying to find her pulse. She wasn't sure if she was breathing or if Alya was unknowingly talking to her ghost.  
  
“Marinette that was _you_ nervous. Adrien’s much cooler and confident than you if we’re being honest.”  
  
She rolls her eyes at this. Notorious confidence was something Marinette was known, for, until Adrien waltzed into her life. Despite her disapproval of him at first, she couldn't say that he didn't shake things up in her life. But she didn't have a crush on him anymore. Therefore, he should not affect her in that way anymore.  
  
“But hey! You’re his partner now! For an entire _year_! Imagine how mad Chloe probably is.”  
  
Though Chloe is the last person she wants to think about, the satisfaction is eating her alive. No, Alya doesn't know that her feelings for Adrien are in the process of being destroyed. If she knew that, Marinette would surely be in deep shit.  
  
“Yeah,” she smirks, “it's almost satisfying.”  
  
“ _Almost?_ ”  
  
As if she was listening to the conversation beside them, Chloe saunters up to them angrily with Sabrina by her side.  
  
“Almost, because of the impending confrontation,” Marinette whispers.  
  
“Marinette,” she begins, “can you explain to me why every time I _need_ Adrien for something, you're intruding one way or another?”  
  
“I don't know what to tell you, Chloe,” She replies, “I’m minding my own business. If Adrien wants to talk to me and not you, maybe _you’re_ the problem.”  
  
“Don’t lecture me about problems where there’s one right in front of me!”  
  
Her sudden outburst alarms half the courtyard. Marinette had never seen Chloe angrier as she was in this instant. She could see her cheeks turning an angry shade of red, and the gears were spinning furiously in her head, so much it was almost as if there was steam billowing out of her ears.  
  
“Chloe, why are you so angry?” She asks, “He’s just a boy.”  
  
Alya’s eyes widen at this, doing a double-take and looking up at her best friend. She appears to be firm in her words, not a single hint of admiration in sight.  
  
“J-Just a boy--”  
  
“Just a boy.” Marinette solidifies her response, “Adrien is just like the rest of us; stop putting him on a pedestal.”  
  
“Stop putting him on a pedestal--” Alya is in shock, looking at Marinette as she walks away confidently. Yes, this was very unlike her, but it was about time that she started speaking as if she didn’t have a crush on Adrien. Maybe saying it out loud more often would help her forget it.  
  
“Mari--” Alya stops Marinette mid-walk, “what was that all about?”  
  
“It’s…it’s about time I get over this crush on Adrien,” she says, “there’s a lot more out there for me.”  
  
“Is this because of Chat Noir? Marinette you can’t put all your eggs in that basket.”  
  
“And why not? I did it with Adrien for almost three years.”  
  
“But--”  
  
“I can like who I want Alya, no matter how unrealistic.”  
  
Marinette storms away from her best friend, unaware of the fact that Adrien stood in the corner of the courtyard, hearing every single word they said.

 

 

________________________

 

 

Marinette couldn't have liked him this entire time. He would have noticed by now. Adrien may have been a little socially deprived, but he could surely pick up on signs. Chloe had a crush on him and he knew. Wasn't that how all girls acted when they had crushes.  
  
_No way,_ he thought to himself, _I would have known_. He catches up with Nino, hoping that he has the answers to his desperate inquiries.  
  
“Dude,” Adrien sighs. He knows this question is one he doesn't want to ask, “I _might_ have this thing for Marinette. But according to her, she only sees me as a friend.”  
  
His best friend looks at him in disbelief and then begins to laugh. He’s _laughing._  
  
“That's really funny.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Adrien she's been in love with you for almost three years.”  
  
“She and Alya were just talking about her getting over me…?”  
  
“Then maybe she’s finally given up?”  
  
Adrien wants to scream; he knew from the bottom of his heart that nothing could devastate him more than this.

 

 

_______________________

 

 

“I know you're probably tired from school, but I need you to _smile_.” He hears the man behind the camera press once more.  
  
The photographer was right and wrong all at once. Yes, he was certainly exhausted. But no, not from school alone. From two days of school, a stressful date with a beautiful girl, and a night/morning in the streets of Paris. On top of that, Marinette had a crush on him, and he found out too late.  
  
“There’s no reason to smile anymore,” he sighs dramatically, pouting even though he knows the photographer is on his last nerve. He had no care in the world; he was too frazzled to bring his attention to anything else.  
  
“ _Find a reason--”_  
  
“Stop, stop, stop.”  
  
Adrien spots Nathalie’s authoritative hand waving in the air, signaling the photographer to halt his actions,  
  
“He's obviously not in the mood. His father wants to see him anyway, let him have a break.”  
  
The photographer is fuming, so much that Adrien almost thought he was going to throw his camera against the white walls of the studio. Instead, he stormed to the catering area, piling on a plate of assorted goodies.  
  
Adrien should have known better anyway; employees of his father couldn't throw tantrums.  
  
“My father wants to see me?” Adrien fiddles with his Miraculous on his ring finger.  
  
“Yes; he's waiting in his office. It's about the gala.”  
  
“Is it about Chloe?” He begs Nathalie for a warning, and luckily she provides.  
  
“The mayor called,” She whispers with a frown, “seems Chloe’s got a bigger mouth than we both bet on.”  
  
Adrien smiles sadly, knowing his father must be upset that the gala ticket still rests in his jeans pocket in his dressing room. _Knowing_ this was going to be long, he takes off his ruffled shirt and trades it for his black cotton sweat-shirt. He trudged to his father's office, ignoring the mix of disapproving and concerned looks aimed at him. Most of his father’s employees thought he was a spoiled brat, today’s performance probably not giving him any extra points. But while most of them assumed, others closer to him home situation knew he was simply a troubled kid in the shadow of his non-existent father.  
  
He knocked on the door of his father’s office lightly, hoping he could get away with him not answering, but the door swings open and standing before him is Gabriel Agreste.  
  
“Adrien. Good, I was expecting you. Come in.”  
  
He slips through the doorway and watches as his father begins to clean off assorted items off his desk frantically. Adrien rarely saw nerves wrack his father, but seeing his movements let him know that it was about what he saw last night at the abandoned warehouse.  
  
“What do you need Father?”  
  
“The mayor called.”  
  
Adrien doesn't flinch.  
  
“Why didn't you ask Chloe to the gala?”  
  
“Father, can I request that I bring someone else?” Adrien starts, “Chloe is okay and all, but she tires me. If I’m being forced to go to one of these formal events, can't I go with someone I want to spend my time with?”  
  
“And who did you have in mind?”  
  
“A-A girl in my class.”  
  
“Does the girl haves name, Adrien? Use your voice like an Agreste man.”  
  
He swallows back his attack, bitterly replying to his father. It's still not worth it.  
  
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”  
  
“Oh,” Gabriel swivels in his chair, “Tom’s daughter?”  
  
“Tom?”  
  
“That's her father’s name. So she's the daughter of the bakers.”  
  
“She also won the derby hat competition,” Adrien jumps to mention her triumph, “and she aspires to be a designer. I just think it would be a more enjoyable night for me if I brought her; plus, maybe showing her what your fashion agency is about will gain you another employee?”  
  
His father raises his eyebrows at his son’s attempt to persuade his decision with a business proposition. Adrien was getting desperate and he assumed that it was known. He was stuck between his urge to know Marinette in an intimate way, and his need to please his stern father.  
  
“I’ll sleep on it,” he responds after a brief moment. The blonde can practically feel his anxiety flushing out of his body at the sound of his father’s voice.  
  
“But you used the wrong pronoun.”  
  
“I did?”  
  
“It's _our_ fashion agency; soon to be _yours_.”  
  
Oh god.  
  
“That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about.”  
  
“Father,” Adrien says quickly, “I’ll be right back. I just--I can’t right now. I have to go.”  
  
“Adrien you can't just--”  
  
“I’ll see you at home if you're there, I just--can't now.”  
  
He's out of the door before his father before another request can be made in his hearing range. Escape was what he needed right now; one more second within the agency was going to drive him up the wall.  
  
He turns the corner as he hears his father’s door open, and then he’s running. If his father never finds him before he’s out of the building he’s free.  
  
Employees watched as the young model dashed past them, booking it to the elevator. He barely stops in front of the panel, pressing the down button as he catches his breath. The doors open immediately to his approval, his feet taking him inside. He’s enveloped in silence as the elevator begins its descent from the 43rd floor.  
  
“That was _real_ smooth,” Plagg mocks him, “almost didn't get caught!”  
  
“I wasn't trying to be smooth,” Adrien argues, the anger caused by his father still burning in his veins,  “I was just trying to get out of there.”  
  
“Why so eager?”  
  
“Marinette has a _crush on me_!” He finally exclaims out in the open, relieved and horrified that this was his reality, “Or--or _had_ or whatever is going on now! She liked me for years! Gah! And I was so focused on this fantasy of Ladybug that--”  
  
“She slipped you by?”  
  
“A mistake I’ll never make again. Dammit! Stupid _stupid--_ ”  
  
“Hey! Quit insulting yourself and _learn._ That's what we do,” Plagg assures him, “we learn from our mistakes.”  
  
“No matter how shitty they are?”  
  
“The shittier, the better.”  
  
There’s a ding, and Adrien takes it upon himself to walk rather than run. He knows he’s escaped his father by now.  
  
He had to see Marinette before the day ended.

 

 

______________________

 

 

Adrien always loved being Chat Noir, but today his superhero alias held a different meaning. Yes, every day he served as a relief, the key to freedom he never had a young boy. He was confidence, cockiness, and independence all in one. He was the complete opposite of Adrien, and he was addicted to it.  
  
But tonight, he was the ticket to Marinette’s heart. For some reason, Chat Noir was more appealing to her than Adrien, and he wanted to know why.  
  
He had already scolded himself for not knowing that Marinette had had a crush on him for two years until recently. The time for that was over. It was up to Chat Noir to find out what he had to do to fix that. No matter what he had to do, he was going to salvage what he could have had with her.  
  
Adrien wanted to punish himself for making himself wait this long for what was right in front of him. There was a period of time when she liked _Adrien_. Not his cocky counterpart. He was well aware of the opportunity he had lost and it was a suffocating reality.  
  
Albeit, this same burning pit in stomach motivated him to see him.  
  
He lands on her balcony, the night wind rushing through his hair as his feet land on the railing. It's wobbly; enough that he has to use his staff to steady himself. Chat makes a mental note to offer his services and fix it up for her.  
  
He’s snapped out of his thoughts when Marinette’s bedroom window opens to reveal the one girl he’d been daydreaming about all day. Her hair has been released from their ponytails, looking more windswept than Chat’s. Her eyes burn holes into his heart as they stare right at him, the bright glow never subsiding.  
  
“Marinette…” He can barely hear himself over the commotion of the city’s nightlife. He shakes himself out of it, trying to turn on his more charming and alluring side.  
  
“Chat Noir,” She’s the smug one this time around, “props to you for not catching me when I was having a wardrobe malfunction.”  
  
Afterward, she disappears to exit the door on her roof. Adrien waits for her to push the door open before replying,  
  
“That was just an incredible coincidence love,” he comments, taking her hand and pulling her out of her room, “but I’m happy to see you otherwise.”  
  
“I’m glad you came,” she smiles sheepishly, looking down at their still joined hands. He releases them quickly, only to have Marinette take them back.  
  
“So how was your day?”  
  
“My day?”  
  
“Yeah kitty,” she sits down and pats the spot next to her, “I’m sure you've got a life outside of this one, don't you?”  
  
“Well,” Adrien plants himself beside her, leaning against the wall, “rather, I enjoy this one much more than my civilian one.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Well, I can't see _you_ when I’m a civilian if we want to start simple.” He grins, knowing that he’s made the poor girl blush.  
  
“I’m sure if you just talked to me I would see you more,” She answers factually.  
  
“There are too many eyes on me. More than there are eyes on Chat Noir.”  
  
“Whoa. Wait. Are you a spy?”  
  
“No,” he chuckles, “I am a born Parisian.”  
  
“Good,” Marinette grins again, “but you didn't tell me about your day.”  
  
“Eh. School, and then work until I escaped to see you. I had a really late patrol, so I’m very tired.”  
  
“How late?” Marinette asks, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
“Uh…” He spots her disapproving look and tries to grin off the truth, “All night?”  
  
“Where was Ladybug?!”  
  
“It was more of a solo operation,” He explains to the worried girl beside her, “I don't want to get her involved until I’m positive about what I think is going on. It's a sensitive topic…”  
  
“Chat that isn't safe…”  
  
“Don't worry ‘bout me Princess,” He shrugs, “I crave the danger. Tell me about _your_ day.”  
  
“I got over someone.” She smiles triumphantly and Adrien suddenly remembers his scorching questions that needed answers.  
  
“W-Who?”  
  
“You’ll think I’m stupid,” she starts but Adrien stops her a second later.  
  
“Try me.”  
  
She groans, covering her face.  
  
“Adrien Agreste.”  
  
_Damn._ Hearing his name come out her mouth was enough of a spark to give him a semi.  
  
“Him?”  
  
“My friend got mad at me, probably from initial shock, when I told her I didn't like him anymore,” she laughs sadly to herself, “I said I liked someone else for the time being. Three years is too long. I have a life to live.”  
  
Adrien's heart sunk and rose to his throat at the same time; he wasn't sure if he was winning or losing. While it was aggravating, the confusion made his insides stir.  
  
“Do I know him?” He barely whispers, “This new guy you like?”  
  
“Better than you think, Chat…”  
  
Chat Noir was _in_. Sadly, Adrien was down for the count. But maybe Marinette wanting more Chat means that Adrien has _more_ excuses to transform along with the benefit of seeing her.  
  
“That's good,” he tries to be smooth again, not wanting his confidence to waver in front of her, “but I think he's into some one else.”  
  
“No way,” she smirks, but not as much as she was before, “I hope it's not the other superhero I see flying around here.”  
  
“Who? L-Ladybug?” Adrien’s shocked at the mention of his partner. He barely remembered his affection for her; he hadn't seen her in so long, and only mere seconds the other night.  
  
“Yeah,” Marinette replies, “she steals everyone’s heart, lemme tell you. Adrien, Alya, even the girl I find myself disliking more and more every day loves that girl…”  
  
Chat Noir falls silent, watching Marinette physically crumple as she continues to talk about Ladybug.  
  
“I wonder what it's like to be her. Every. Day.”  
  
“Ladybug is my partner,” he tries to convince her, “that's all.”  
  
“I know, I know.”  
  
“Marinette.”  
  
“Chat Noir.”  
  
He cups her face in his gloved hands,  
  
“She's just my partner.”  
  
Marinette bites her bottom lip softly, reaching up to touch his hand. He needed this. He needed all of this; her, her kiss, her constant worry for him that somehow translated into affection he hadn't received in a long time. Adrien needed this more than he needed oxygen, but he had to make sure she wanted it too.  
  
“I must ask; you know the risk that comes with me… don't you?” Chat Noir asks, catching Marinette off guard. She thought her partner was plenty smart, but she still couldn't believe the caution he had with her. He was always the more reckless of the two of them.  
  
“I’m sure I can handle the danger of an akuma,” she promises him, “I’m still here, aren't I?”  
  
“Yes,” he smiles, a blush Marinette can't see warming him up, “it would be great if we could keep it that way, yes?”  
  
“Of course!” Her laugh echoes and she notices that Chat Noir has decided to move closer, making his presence more obvious than it had ever been.  
  
“But…” Marinette tries to bring some of their boundaries back, “we merely had a moment. One moment, to say the least. Plus, the first time we met, my best friend managed to get a picture. An akuma attacking is the least of our worries. What we have to be concerned about is--”  
  
“Our _passion_?”  
  
He was definitely better now.  
  
“The _public_. You're a celebrity and one that _disappears_. I’m just Marinette.”  
  
“No one will find out,” Chat Noir emphasizes. To prove his point, he reaches over and shuts the fairy lights surrounding her balcony off.  
  
“Smart,” she mumbles, sarcasm lacing her tone.  
  
“See?” A smirk devours his face, “It's almost as if we’re the only two in Paris…”  
  
“But we’re not,” Marinette protests once again, “I--Chat there are so many variables to consider--”  
  
“Variables that will be there whether you kiss me or you make me leave faster than I came,” She gasps when she feels how close Chat actually is to her.  
  
“We’re never going to be the only two people in Paris Chat.”  
  
“But wouldn't it be nice if we were? Just for a second?”  
  
Her back hits the wall and he tilts his head down, foreheads touching lightly. Marinette is spiraling, no matter how much she tries to keep her cool and regain control.  
  
“You can't tell me that you don't feel it,” he begs, “you can't tell me that your heart isn't thundering under your chest like mine is.”  
  
“And what if it's not?”  
  
“Then you would be the one person you hate; a liar.”  
  
“How would you know otherwise?”  
  
“You haven't moved from beneath me yet, and I know you're not going to.”  
  
He had her there. Granted, he had her before she was even against the wall. Marinette was crumbling under his presence and she had never experienced something so overwhelming. While she felt like an exposed nerve, she only wanted more of him.  
  
“I can't Chat,” she whispers sternly, “it's too soon.”  
  
“No one put a clock on us.”  
  
His gloved finger reaches to stroke the side of Marinette’s cheek. She pushes her hair back behind her ear, only for it to pop back out. His chuckle echoes as he reaches over with his other hand to hold her face delicately. He refuses to break eye contact and the girl can't help but drown.  
  
“Are you going to kiss me?” She asks, her own eyes burning as she takes notice of the golden flecks that decorate his pupils.  
  
“Only if you want me to,” she almost doesn't hear him as she loses herself in the mere thought of his lips.  
  
“I want you to.”  
  
She expects to feel his lips crashing against hers forcefully as the rode out their feelings in a rushed ride of passion, but he doesn't do anything of the sort. Her eyes shut hurriedly in anticipation, but his lips only touch hers lightly.  
  
Bolts of electricity travel like a current through her body. There's no Chat-like cockiness behind his touch; instead, a sweet innocence takes its place and she smiles in the kiss, cradling his face with her hands.  
  
He pulls away softly after a few seconds. She can only see his eyes but can still feel his body practically glowing.  
  
“She's just your partner?”  
  
“She's just my partner.”  
  
Marinette nods, leaning on his chest. Chat had to resist swooning.  
  
“I should go,” he whispers to her, “you should get some rest.”  
  
“You too Kitty,” she sighs, running a cold hand through his hair, “you look exhausted.”  
  
“Don't worry about me, love. That's not your job,” he kisses her cheek by surprise, leaving Marinette on fire; a consequence of being enveloped in darkness, “that’s my job. But to you know, worry about you.”  
  
“I’m going to worry about you any way you know,” she stops him as he reaches behind to grasp his staff, “you came here suffering. If anyone’s going to worry it’s me.”  
  
“I couldn’t do that to you,” he tries to whisper but she shakes her head.  
  
“You’re not doing anything that I don’t want you to. I…I promise you that.”  
  
He wasn’t sure if was her independence, or the fact that she’s willingly putting his needs in front of hers, but his heart dropped faster than when he was falling from skyscrapers.  
  
"Well uh, you should..." He can't seek the words as he drowns in her sea blue eyes, "you should wear your hair loose more often."  
  
His hands run through her dark locks softly, refusing to break eye contact with her, "you... you look free."

A finger lands on the staff, a kiss on her knuckles and a red tint upon her cheeks as he makes his exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what about that, huh.
> 
> 7 is being written right now!


	7. DAYDREAMER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> daydreams are the only dreams you're really awake for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm SO SORRY! i'm in college now! that's my excuse! i apologize profoundly! i've had to do some adjusting before putting together a chapter worthy of publishing! i promise it will NEVER take that long again as long as i have power over it.

Marinette sleeps well that night hoping that Chat Noir would visit her in her dreams. His visit certainly turned her day around. His demeanor with Ladybug varies with his demeanor Marinette on levels she never thought reachable. He still had his immature charm, but it came with a more compassionate aftertaste. It was a side of Chat Noir that Marinette never got to see until now, and it’s what inclined her to cave into him tonight.  
  
A soft knock on her bedroom window interrupts her train of thought. She smiles, rolling her eyes. What did that boy want now?  
  
She opens her window up again, smiling as her eyes meet the pair of glittering emeralds.  
  
“Chat?”  
  
“So um,” he rubs the back on his neck chuckling, “I was heading home when I realized I forgot to tell you something.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“You’re beautiful.”  
  
“And you’re a cheeseball,” Marinette giggles, “go home! Get some sleep for god’s sake!”  
  
“I’m tired yeah,” he chuckles, “tired of you.”  
  
She blinks, convinced she’s confusing words. It’s too late; she’s probably tired.  
  
“What was that?”  
  
“I’m _tired of you!_ ” He’s screaming now and Marinette backs up, somewhat from fear but mostly in self-defense.  
  
_“I’m tired of you meddling in my plans!”_ He shouts again, crawling into her window, _“Give it to me!”_  
  
A swarm of butterflies (that Marinette knows too well to be shocked by) emerges from her closet and circle around Chat Noir, encompassing him completely until the notorious, tall and brooding felon stood before her in his place.  
  
“What did you do with Chat Noir?!” She shrieks in terror, backing up faster as she identifies the familiar face of Hawkmoth.  
  
“He’s far from saving,” he cackles, “Just as _you’ll be,_ Ladybug.”  
  
“Ladybug…” she whispers hoarsely, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes, “but--”  
  
“Stupid little girl; did you _really_ think I wouldn’t find out?!”  
  
Marinette can’t back up any further as Hawkmoth leans in close, cradling her face in his hands.  
  
“Now _give me_ your Miraculous, _Ladybug_.”

 

 

\+ + +

 

 

Tikki is by the shaking girl in seconds, trying her best to awaken her from her episode. Marinette’s breathing is heavy as she sweats through the sheets. Her kwami practically rips them off her mattress and proceeds to shake her awake.  
  
“Marinette!” She's screaming now, desperately needing her charge to awaken until she’s knocked from the bed into Marinette’s desk. Hand clutching her chest in peril, Marinette gets up from her bed and begins to pace frantically.  
  
“Tikki…”  
  
“What _was_ that?!”  
  
“Tikki, I had a dream he found me,” she bites her lip, trying to stop the tears, “he found me through Chat Noir, and he suffered because of _me_. _Paris_ almost suffered because I couldn’t keep us a secret--”  
  
She gasps suddenly, covering her mouth. The picture that Alya had on her phone. Hawkmoth could have access to that in _seconds_. It had to disappear before it could be released.  
  
“The picture,” Marinette whispers hoarsely, paranoia still roaming wild in her mind, “we-we have to get it back.”  
  
“Marinette it's four in the morning! You need to sleep--”  
  
“No no, we have to!” She almost yells, “Tikki, Hawkmoth can't target Chat easily, but he sure as hell can target Marinette with ease. I know that I don’t do it often, but I have to watch my own ass right now.”  
  
Tikki suddenly realizes the urgency of the situation, following Marinette’s lead as she puts her earrings in.  
  
“We have to go to Alya’s house before she wakes up.”

 

 

_____________________

 

 

Marinette hated being sneaky. The deception of sneaking around didn't suit her quite well. Though, despite her clumsy personality, she always found herself being quite good at being a shadow when she wanted to.  
  
Her feet landed on Alya’s roof, not a single sound to be heard upon her arrival. She crouches down, peeking into her bedroom window. As she predicted, her best friend had fallen asleep at her desk again. Probably doing homework or extra research for the flourishing Ladyblog. Marinette’s anger towards her almost subsides when she sees her slumped at her workstation. After all, they’re best friends for a reason.  
  
She slides her fingers beneath the window, pulling it open as quietly as she possibly could. She steps onto Alya’s carpet daintily, squeezing her eyes shut when she closed it back. Luckily, she was still dead asleep.  
  
When Marinette and Alya first met, the redhead had given Marinette her cell phone passcode. She was told that the possession of the code was merely for emergencies only (say, Alya was in the bathroom during an akuma attack, and Ladybug would show up and kick ass and leave right before she came back). After some serious thought, Marinette officially named this situation a _dire_ emergency.  
  
Alya’s phone rested on the dresser by her door, exposed and ready for Ladybug to grasp. And she does, swiftly at that. Marinette releases a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, unlocking the phone and deleting the picture as quickly as she could.  
  
Marinette applauded her skills far too soon though, a small gasp emitting from the corner of Alya's room shocking her back to reality.  
  
“Oh my god…” both of them whisper at the same time, looking at each other in awe.  
  
“You’re Ladybug…” she adds for effect, “wait--I know that but…”  
  
“I…”  
  
“Why are you in here? Why are you holding my phone?”  
  
“There…uh, Chat Noir needed me to do him a favor.” Marinette thinks of an excuse briskly, “There was a picture of him and a civilian. He asked me to make sure that it was destroyed.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Photographic evidence of the two of them would surely put the young woman photographed in danger,” she continues to explain, “Chat wants this battle to be his own without putting innocent lives in danger.”  
  
Yeah, more like her _own_ life.  
  
“Okay…” Alya replies, surprisingly timidly.  
  
“I’ve got to go,” Marinette says to her best friend, heading towards the open window, “thank you for keeping quiet.”  
  
“Wait--” Alya stops her from jumping out the window, grabbing her wrist. Marinette’s body twists around, looking down at her again.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“You have to assure the public.”  
  
“Assure the public?”  
  
“Ladybug, are those threats that the activist group is making true? Because everyone I know is convinced that Hawkmoth is going to rise from whatever cave he’s hiding in.”  
  
“He’s not,” Marinette replies, “I assure you--”  
  
“I’m assured.” Alya repeats, “Assure _them_.”  
  
The thought of Hawkmoth returning alone had left Marinette perplexed. It was definitely near impossible since she was the only one that knew the whereabouts of Hawkmoth’s miraculous, but years ago, she was a regular school girl, entering sophomore year.  
  
Now? Now she was _Ladybug_ , and her alter ego was romantically involved with her _partner_.  
  
Marinette was pretty much convinced that _anything_ could happen.  
  
But with a firm nod, Ladybug is leaping out of Alya’s window to god knows where. She just knew that she had to get out of there before she said something she regretted. It hasn’t even been a full day and people are already giving this issue more fuel than it needs. As much as Marinette loves her city, she can’t help but detest it at times.  
  
So she decides to head home, knowing she can't-do too much as a tired teen with an empty stomach. But, she knows she won’t be able to rest without checking for Hawkmoth’s miraculous. Once she’s assured that it’s there, she takes herself home to her warm and inviting bed.

 

 

_____________________________

 

 

Adrien is tired again; no surprise there. But he knows that Marinette has to be more exhausted. She came two hours late, opposed to her usual twenty to thirty minutes. Part of him felt slight satisfaction, knowing that Chat Noir was the reason she was up all night. The other part felt guilty because _Chat Noir was the reason she was up all night_.  
  
Marionette obviously needed her sleep and it's not like he was helping in any way. As much as the boy loved the scandal behind her sleep deprivation, he still _cared_ for Marinette. Perhaps that's where the line blurred; scandal, and consideration.  
  
Nonetheless, he watched as Marinette slouched in her chair, exhaustion still all over her features. He zones out of the lesson when Alya questions her, simply focusing on her once again. He still couldn't comprehend how much of an idiot he actually was to miss out on this opportunity before. And yes, he was harping on it, but he couldn't _help it._  
  
The past few days had been nothing but core exhaustion for him. He couldn't even remember the last time he genuinely _slept_. It definitely wasn't after their senior year started. The night before he and Nino went out to the nightclub for a last hoorah? Perhaps.  
  
Seeing Marinette in that outfit that night…  
  
He would never forget it.  
  
But then Mrs. Bustier clears her throat, calling for attention, and he's forced to zone back into his painful, sleepless, emotionless reality as Adrien Agreste.  
  
He yearned for Chat Noir more and more with every passing hour of the past three or four days. He hated himself for it, but could he? Chat Noir was a _part of him_. It wasn't wrong to want to be him more…was it?  
  
_Was it_?  
  
Adrien then decided that it would be better to focus on the math equations being put up on the board rather than stressing on the thoughts in his head.

 

 

____________________

 

 

“Do you know who visited me yesterday?!”

  
Marinette was so tired she didn't even have the energy to lie.  
  
“Ladybug?”  
  
Alya’s eyes pop open in awe for a solid ten seconds before glaring at her friend,  
  
“How did you know?!”  
  
“That smile only comes out when you're talking about her,” Marinette smirks, “also, if it was someone else, I would have heard from the police scanner.”  
  
“True,” she smirks, “but anyway; I took the opportunity and gave her some words of advice that I think the entire civilian population would agree on.”  
  
“Mhm, and what's that?”  
  
“To _assure the public_.”  
  
“Mhm,” Marinette mumbles as Alya rambles on about the exact event she happened to be there for. Usually, she would be right there alongside her best friend, raving on in excitement about the mysterious heroine that everyone managed to fall in love within a matter of mere seconds, but she simply wasn't feeling the thrill today.  
  
“But she _actually_ came to get rid of that picture of you and Chat Noir.”  
  
“Yup, I remember.”  
  
Marinette doesn't realize her slip up until Alya’s eyes widen once again.  
  
“What do you mean you _remember?_ ”  
  
She's wide awake now, rambling frantically in the quietest voice she could muster,  
  
“I-I remember the picture! You showed me when you were interrogating me, remember?”  
  
“How could forget,” She smirks, satisfied, “that was some of my best work.”  
  
“You literally just peer pressured me into telling you all the details,” She reminds her, “also, you were being very loud.”  
  
“No, I wasn’t!”  
  
“Your version of an inside voice is louder than everyone else’s.”  
  
And with that, Marinette lays her head down on her desk, closing her eyes and completely tuning out of the lesson being taught. She was still far too tired to care or make an effort. She even caught Adrien looking at her from his desk, also looking quite exhausted. But alas, Marinette couldn’t even summon enough energy to acknowledge him. Partially because yes, she was tired, but also because Adrien didn’t have that glow he managed to maintain back when she was interested in him. Just like that, Adrien wasn’t the object of her attention, the only one she saw in her daydreams.  
  
Another had taken his place. His polar opposite, in fact. Marinette continued to surprise herself, especially considering that Chat Noir and Adrien arrived in her life almost around the same time. It was such a coincidence, she took it comically instead of overthinking it.  
  
Then, she was asleep.  
  
Next thing she knew, the bell was ringing and she had missed an entire class period.  
  
This is how the rest of the day continued on; Marinette would get to class, zone out, daydream, and eventually fall asleep. Then the bell would ring, and she would have to move to her next napping location. It was an endless, deadly cycle and all she wanted was for the school day to just _end_.  
  
And once it did, and Alya and Nino had bid her adieu, she had to stop for a moment. She had to sit down, rest for just a few seconds before she fell asleep in the middle of a crosswalk.  
  
Her eyes fall shut for a few moments before the silence is interrupted by that familiar angelic voice.  
  
“Tired?”  
  
She looks over at Adrien, who is walking towards her and has _actual_ bags under his eyes. Marinette never thought she would see the day.  
  
“Very.” She responds as he seats himself across from her, “You look even more exhausted though.”  
  
“I’m not saying that I’m not more exhausted,” He chuckles, “I _know_ I am.”  
  
“What about the project?” She yawns, “When are we going to start that?”  
  
“Not today,” He mutters, “we have all year. I think we can manage to start tomorrow.”  
  
Marinette giggles quietly, laying her head down on the table, eyes still drooping low. It felt nice to talk to him without stuttering, or with her constant nerves prodding at her confidence. To just be two human beings in the moment.  
  
“So what’s been keeping you up for the past two days? Has it been two? Or has it been three…”  
  
“It feels like an entire week smashed together,” Adrien chuckles softly, “but it’s my father; who else?”  
  
“He’s not letting you sleep?” Marinette rubs her forehead, “Isn’t that like…child abuse or something?”  
  
Adrien snorts, laughing loud enough for a couple heads to turn towards them. Marinette smiles, happy knowing that she could manage to make the troubled boy laugh.  
  
“What about you?” He asks, his eyes glistening as they reflect the sun. She admires the beauty, still not denying the fact that Adrien was a _beautiful_ person.  
  
“Oh, just late nights in the bakery, and even later nights with homework.” Marinette lies, knowing she hasn’t been keeping up with her homework in the slightest.  
  
"Guess we both had it rough this week."  
  
His smile is sincere and Marinette finds the will to return it.  
  
“So, how about this.”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Promise me you’ll get a good night’s sleep.”  
  
“Oh,” She smirks, “well, in that case, you promise _me_ you’ll get a good night’s sleep as well.”  
  
“I’ll do you one better…pinky promise,” he grins, holding out his pinky finger weakly. She reaches out as well, linking their fingers together tightly before pulling apart. Adrien gets up from his seat at the table, grabbing his bag as well before smiling down at Marinette.  
  
“See you later?”  
  
“See you later.” She smiles, resting her chin on her hand as he walks away. Marinette may have been tired, but she sure was proud of herself.  
  
This was the first sign of letting Adrien go; once and for all

 

  
___________________________

 

 

Marinette wasn’t expecting to hear Chat Noir enter her room when she gets home from school. The second she shut the trapdoor, he was in the window. It was scary honestly, how impeccable his timing was.  
  
She rolls her eyes, dropping her bag and unlocking her window so the hero himself could talk.  
  
“Marinette,” Chat Noir grins, and she sighs as he continues, “what a pleasure to see you again. Especially after last night…”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
Probably not a good response, considering he was probably nervous mentioning the kiss they shared last night. But still, Marinette was tired. Nothing could change that.  
  
“What’s wrong?”  
  
“Sorry Chat, I’m just…tired. Very. Tired.”  
  
“Good,” he sighs as well, dropping in, “I’m exhausted as well.”  
  
“Are you?”  
  
“It’s been a very long two days. I honestly just want to take a nap.”  
  
“Well you’re in luck; I’m taking one now.”  
  
Chat’s eyebrow tips upwards.  
  
“Are you inviting me to nap with you?”  
  
Marinette purses her lips, looking around her room as if she’s thinking. Of course, she didn’t mind Chat Noir taking a nap with her. She already told her parents she didn’t want to be disturbed. What harm could it possibly have upon them?  
  
“Sure,” she nods, “no problem.”  
  
“Thank you,” he grins, shutting the window and yawning, “you have no idea how tired I am.”  
  
“If you’re as tired as I am, I think I do,” She smiles sleepily, “you can come in the bed if you’d like.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Too tired to think about whether I want to think about that or… I don’t even remember what I was going to say.”  
  
“Okay,” he chuckles, crawling under the sheets of the twin bed. He has no choice but to press his body up against hers, but Marinette still can’t find a care in the world.

“Goodnight,” she mumbled into her pillow, and Chat decides to make a bold move, wrapping his arm around her stomach. What she fails to notice is that his warmth is the only thing that soothes Marinette to sleep faster than she usually does.


	8. WILD CARD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when the game gets too predictable, you play your wild card to shake things up a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, i apologize! i'm a computer science major and lemme tell you the classes are hard as hell. but i'm doing pretty good! so here's the chapter!
> 
> this one will be all adrien's point of view :p  
> did it on purpose.  
> i promise i didn't forget about my girl mari!

Marinette and Chat Noir slept into the night, neither of them with any intention of waking up. Marinette’s parents followed her instructions, leaving her alone for the night to catch up on the sleep she had been losing. Though if they had known Chat Noir was up there with her, holding their daughter close to his chest as if she would slip away at any moment, it might have been a different story.  
  
At around 12:00 AM, Marinette had awoken to Chat Noir moving out her bed and standing up beside her.  
  
“Chat…” she mutters, searching for her phone, “what time is it…?”  
  
“Time for me to go back home and get back to sleep,” He responds kneeling down as he approached her bedside, “my family is probably worried about me.”  
  
“Family…?”  
  
Marinette never heard much about Chat Noir’s family when she was Ladybug, so to hear the word leave his lips when he was around Marinette, no matter how disorientated she was, surprised her.  
  
“Yeah,” He smiles, “I’ve got family too you know.”  
  
Though when he says it, Marinette is inclined not to believe him. It didn’t even seem like he was convinced with his own claim.  
  
“Then you better get home to them,” She smiles nonetheless, looking up into his full green eyes.  
  
“Won’t miss me too much?” He smirks and she sighs, laying back down with a smirk.  
  
“I miss my pillow if we’re being blunt.”  
  
“I know,” He transitions to an easy smile, “I miss mine too. Get some more sleep, alright?”  
  
“When will I see you again?” Marinette asks sincerely, sitting up fully now while looking at him as he began his escape through the window.  
  
“I…” He steps away from the window, taking grand steps towards her again, “soon. Okay?”  
  
“Soon? When is soon?”  
  
“As soon as possible,” He reaches over to cup her face with his clawed hand, and she takes it compassionately. Chat wants to kiss her right now, and he’s almost positive that she wouldn’t mind it either, but kissing her like he did that night would only make his need for her dangerous.  
  
So instead he takes the hand that’s holding his and presses a soft kiss to the back of her hand, similar to the way he had the night of their kiss.  
  
“When are you going to give me a real kiss again, Chaton?” He hears her ask sleepily as she lays back down. He almost says ‘as soon as possible’ again, but he wants her to be more awake than she is right now. he wants her to remember the second time. The second kiss was always better than the first anyway; there’s more experience involved, and it’s not as awkward as the first time.  
  
“When you’ve gotten enough sleep to remember the taste of my lips,” he whispers playfully, watching Marinette roll her eyes.  
  
“Goodnight,” she yawns, turning her head away from him before he smiles, making his gallant escape. He sincerely hoped that she got enough rest tonight because he wanted to kiss her again, sooner rather than later.

 

 

________________________________

 

 

Adrien still had to give his gala ticket to someone. It was in his pocket, weighing him down more than anything ever had in his eighteen years of living. His father had warned him this morning, telling him that he should think like an Agreste, and not like an inept teenager. He took the comment with little care, thinking back on the fact that he never got the chance to _be_ an inept teenager. As much as Adrien made mistakes, he didn’t really make any; he couldn’t afford to.  
  
So there he stood in front of the classroom door, already ten minutes late, deciding on whether he should just face his problems head-on or just run away entirely and hide in his room for a year or two.  
  
It was a curse, knowing what he wanted, and what he needed.  
  
He fishes the ticket out of his pocket, staring it down. He knew he wanted to give it to Marinette. Whether it be his inner Chat Noir yelling at him to do it, or the fact that couldn’t be civil to Chloe for the entire scheduled day. But yet again, his father would make sure he ceased to exist.  
  
Though his thoughts remained scrambled, he opened the door and tried to appear as if he wasn’t wary of his every step. Heads turned as he entered, Mrs. Bustier’s greetings going in one ear and out the other. He sits next to Nino, giving him a nod before she continues the lesson.  
  
“So let’s continue our current events discussion. Max, would you like to keep going?”  
  
“Yes,” Max adjusts his glasses in an obvious manner, making Adrien uncharacteristically roll his eyes. He honestly just wasn’t having it with these kids these days. Marinette gave him this fresh breath of reality that he’d never gotten before.  
  
Now that he only really saw her in her prime as Chat Noir.  
  
“I believe that Ladybug and Chat Noir are not capable of defending the city of Paris.”  
  
Adrien’s head pops up attentively, engaged in the conversation at the mention of his partner and his other half.  
  
“Please present evidence to defend your claim, Max.”  
  
“Recently there has been an uprising of those who are in _favor_ of the notorious villain, Hawkmoth, taking over. They have come to believe that the city of Paris would be safer in the hands of Hawkmoth rather than our so-called heroes. So I suppose the question that comes to mind is how Ladybug and Chat Noir managed to sustain their powerful image in our society when we already have people convincing themselves that they’re not capable of the job. If they were, would we have people turning on them?”  
  
“Who are you to say that?” Adrien speaks up, “there’s always going to be someone who doubts! You can’t just cancel out the opposite side of an argument; it’s always going to be there.”  
  
“Doubt in our heroes hasn’t set in until this year!”  
  
“That does _not_ mean they’re suddenly incapable.”  
  
Marinette speaks up, surprising the entirety of the class. Knowing that she usually doesn’t speak up unless she finds it necessary, all eyes are on her.  
  
“Taking them out of the equation so hastily makes you just as bad as those who are questioning whether they should pledge their allegiance to Hawkmoth or not.”  
  
“Well, who says those people are bad?” Max argues once again, “what if we have the narrative all wrong? I'm just considering all sides of the debate.”  
  
“Yeah,” Rose is almost unheard from the back of the room, “Ladybug and Chat Noir could be the bad guys. We don’t know much about them. They come and go so quickly, and the only interviews we really get are the ones from Alya.”  
  
“Which is why you should _trust me_ when I say Ladybug and Chat Noir, are completely capable of protecting this city. Let me just remind you all that Hawkmoth has been gone for _six months_.”  
  
“And Ladybug and Chat Noir still appear here and there why? For petty crimes? We have the police for that. Hawkmoth isn’t defeated. They would have moved on.”  
  
“You don’t _know that_.” Marinette and Adrien both emphasize.  
  
“And you know for sure Adrien?”  
  
The blonde’s head was hurting, and his anger he usually never released was pulsing in his veins. He wanted nothing more than to yell his mantra, transform in front of all his classmates and _show them_ how much he knew. He had never felt such a flurry of emotion and fury so passionately before; a flame so intense that he would risk _everything_ to release it.  
  
He’s about to let out another angry outburst, prepared to burn Max to a crisp in order to defend himself and his Lady, but his teacher luckily ends the discussion there.  
  
“Everyone, I think that’s enough for current events today. Why don’t we cook down, partner up and work on the homework on the board? That way everyone can go home and not have to worry about any coursework.”  
  
Of course, the class complies with her suggestion, the mere mention of no homework setting a fire under their asses. All the students begin to work productively on their work, except Adrien.  
  
At least he wasn’t alone. Marinette was right there beside him, defending the two heroes. It warmed his heart, honestly, knowing that he wasn’t the only one looking out for Chat Noir and Ladybug. Of course, he knew that the city of Paris always had faith in them, but was he sure about that now? _Not really_.  
  
Chloe sits down next to him, and almost immediately his ears are ringing. Her loud obnoxious voice is in his ears, yelling, _screaming_ , about how she was prepared for the gala.  
  
He had forgotten about it.  
  
_Again_.  
  
And he was so upset about the fact that it was so relevant it was something he constantly forgot. He just wanted the responsibility out of his hands once and for all; to have his fire-breathing dragon of a father letting his hold loose for two _damn seconds_.  
  
Adrien wanted satisfaction. He wanted a moment where he felt like he was doing something good for himself, rather than everyone else around him.  
  
So consequently, with all of his will, he made an executive decision to simply not _give a fuck_.  
  
“Chloe!” Adrien cuts her off, covering her mouth and inhaling sharply, “I’m not taking you.”  
  
“You--huh?”  
  
“I’m not taking you,” He repeats, “I--I _can’t_. I know we’ve been friends for years and we’ve done this many times before, but that’s the _point!_ I can do all those things with you and nothing will change. It will all be the same, and nothing will feel different.”  
  
“I didn’t understand _half_ of what you just said.”  
  
“I need a change. I need diversity, I need something that isn’t as predictable as my life right now.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I need a wild card.”  
  
Ironically enough, he happened to be in the exact same place he was in when he meant to ask Marinette the first time. Body swivelling out of his seat, eyes glowing, heart pounding at a dangerous rate, his decisions running on a one track mind.  
  
Once again, everything felt right. Deja vu at it’s finest, but Adrien knew it was fate. She and Alya looked up as he approached them with glistening rosy cheeks and a breathless smile, holding out his hand,  
  
“Marinette!”  
  
“A…drien!” She exclaims, trying to meet him halfway but smiling nonetheless.  
  
“I’ve been meaning to ask you for awhile, but uh, would you like to accompany me to my father’s gala?”  
  
Marinette’s eyebrows rise, giving Adrien her notorious look of surprise muddled with confusion.  
  
“You want me to go to your father’s gala?”  
  
“Yeah, as my date, I hope?”  
  
Alya is smacking Marinette’s arm roughly, and it’s impossible for Adrien not to see. There’s an obvious excitement that came with him asking her, and he immediately assumed it was the alleged crush she had on him. Perhaps Alya didn’t know that she had moved on to another eligible bachelor…? (Also him, but he was going to ignore the fact that Marinette obviously had a type.)  
  
“You mean it?”  
  
“One hundred percent. I wouldn't want to spend an entire night with anyone else.”  
  
With dark red rosy cheeks, Marinette gives him a solemn nod, holding out her hand and accepting the ticket from him.  
  
“Great…” He smiles, “so uh, I’ll talk to you when we start the project…?”  
  
“Yeah, sure. When are we doing that by the way?”  
  
“Soon. I promise,” Adrien clasps his hands together, “as soon as this craziness with my Dad and whatnot stops--”  
  
He feels himself bumping into other desks, fumbling over his own two feet as he talks to her. A bashful smile crowds Adrien’s face, a blush rising as he reaches back to run a hand through his hair.  
  
“I-- _soon_. I _promise_.”  
  
“You already said that but sure,” Marinette nods, giggles escaping her lips as he turns away, but he still yells at himself for becoming such a bumbling idiot. Who was he becoming? He had never been the kind of person to fumble with his words. Around _Marinette_ , nonetheless.  
  
Is this what her crush felt like?  
  
It hits Adrien suddenly, but he’s still able to comprehend it all. This is how she felt; this is why she always fumbled with her words and basically avoided Adrien like the plague. If it was true that she was crushing on him, it was because she too was a _goddamn fumbling mess._  
  
Adrien found it a personal accomplishment to connect with a high school senior on such an emotional level. The fact that he was able to point that out alone made him proud. Analyzing it made him feel even better.  
  
So though Chloe sat beside him, yelling and complaining about how she had all these plans for attending the gala with him, he still feels the positive glow he feels when he’s Chat Noir. Even though his second life is falling apart more than his primary one usually is, he was still happy.  
  
_Whatever this is_ , he thinks to himself, _it’s powerful shit_.  
  
The rest of the day is easy-going after that, more or less. Adrien got through the rest of his classes without yelling at anyone else or stumbling about more than he usually does. There’s laughter through the struggles of work, but when all the teachers suddenly stopped their work to turn on the news, what was once an easy-going day became another coat of paint on the most colorful news story in Paris.  
  
Someone had vandalized the outside of the Louvre.  
  
In alarming dark red capital letters, the same mantra that was written on the movie theater walls sits on the museum.

**HAWKMOTH WILL RETURN**

Whispers surround Adrien, _‘Ladybug’_ s and _‘Chat Noir’_ s being thrown around like confetti. As the story continued on the televisions, he couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in Ladybug’s head.  
  
But above all, whether he wanted to know or not.

 

 

_______________________________

 

 

Chat Noir emerged from the darkness that night seeking his partner out, knowing she was going to show up. When big things like this happened, she almost always expected Chat Noir to show up so they could proceed with discussing a plan.  
  
But this time, he had no idea what Ladybug had in store for him tonight. The past events have been so uncanny, _he_ wasn’t sure of any other way to react to them.  
  
Other than constant rage and being defensive, of course.  
  
His thoughts cease when Ladybug appears in front of him, yo-yo twirling between her two fingers and a pained look on her face.  
  
“Hey…” Adrien gives her a placid smile, in an attempt to ease the atmosphere before the intensity that was probably going to rise. She smiles back, leaning against one of the metal pillars.  
  
“This just keeps getting better and better for us, doesn’t it?”  
  
She’s chuckling, which Chat Noir takes as a good sign. Which he should, right? Chuckling meant she wasn’t as frightened, and rather was trying to take the comical route instead. This was indeed a much better outcome.  
  
“Yeah…but Ladybug,” Adrien whips his hair out of his face as the wind tousles it around, “we’ve got a serious issue with this activist group. Have you seen the graffiti?”  
  
“On the Louvre? I have,” She purses her lips and Chat tilts his head, “I’m not surprised they hit there; it’s the only place other than the Eiffel Tower that would get them the attention they want.”  
  
“Why wouldn’t they hit the Tower instead? It’s a lot higher, and there’s a superior chance of people seeing it?”  
  
“Maybe less security?” Leaning against the rails, she rubs her forehead, “I don’t know Chat.”  
  
“Well they would have more security there rather than at the Eiffel Tower, wouldn’t they? It’s a museum.”  
  
“The Tower is a _monument_.”  
  
“I mean _yeah_ , but that whole thing is a piece of art. In my opinion, it’s easier to guard. There’s smaller art in the museum.”  
  
“Well--I--we can argue about this later,” she sighs, “right now the pressing matter is the safety of our city.”  
  
“You’re right…” He tries to continue talking, but Ladybug is already hovering towards where Hawkmoth’s miraculous jewel lies.  
  
“Ladybug,” Chat Noir’s eyes follow her body, and he watches brokenly as she opens the trapdoor, sighing in relief once she sees it. He doesn’t understand why she’s suddenly so self doubting, why she suddenly has this need to _make sure_ everything is okay.  
  
“I’m sorry,” She says to him, “I just have to make sure. I don’t know, some part of me is screaming at myself to check all the time.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Is it wrong that some of me feels like Hawkmoth _could_ come back?”  
  
Ladybug has never been this afraid before. Adrien knew it, from seeing her in this skin for so long. They had defeated Hawkmoth long ago, yet she seemed to be the most fearful when he was gone.  
  
“Why do you feel that way--”  
  
“I mean, think about it! What if he makes a comeback? After Ladybug and Chat Noir allegedly defeated him? Do you know what that would mean?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“We’re not _good_ enough.”  
  
She’s managed to silence him, so much that she could continue on with her rant.  
  
“I mean, _imagine_ that! Paris’ bravest superheroes can’t even keep their most notorious foe under wraps? That’s what the activist group is showing the people! That _yeah_ we defeated Hawkmoth, but his spirit sure as hell lives on!”  
  
“Ladybug--”  
  
“No Chat you don’t understand--”  
  
“Hey!”  
  
Chat grabs her wrist, pulling her away from the trapdoor and slamming it shut. She stumbles, holding onto his shoulder for stability as he plants his feet into the ground.  
  
“Hey what?”  
  
“Do _not_ tell me I don’t understand,” Adrien starts, looking directly in her eyes, “we are in this _together_. We are both living in this nightmare, this _reality_ that Hawkmoth could come back. Obviously, neither of us want to live through that.”  
  
“Chat it’s us at stake too! What if we can’t defeat him if he comes back? Not only have we failed Paris then, but we’ve failed ourselves, the ‘Ladybug’s and ‘Chat Noir’s before us, our loved ones, every person who is out there depending on _us_.”  
  
“That’s inevitable! We face that every day, whether Hawkmoth is coming back tomorrow, or when we’re long gone. I--Ladybug, I sit in classrooms and _listen_ to people degrade us, reduce us to kids running around in spandex. I _know_. I see it on TV, I hear it from my friends, hell, my own _father_ is keeping up with the news these days.”  
  
Her head cocks to the side and he narrows his eyebrows curiously.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Nothing, just… so do I.”  
  
“So do I…?”  
  
“People…they…call us incapable. They’re not assured. Chat, we need to assure them.”  
  
“Assure them how?”  
  
“I don’t know; get in contact with that girl Alya and do an interview, sit on the Eiffel Tower in broad daylight and let them know that we are _here_. Let these people into our _lives_ as Ladybug and Chat Noir and let them know that we aren’t just shadows that appear when they’re in danger and disappear when the day is saved. Show them that we’re born Parisians and we love our goddamn city! Just _something_ to assure them we’re on their side and that Hawkmoth doesn’t stand a damn chance. Something to give them goddamn hope.”  
  
Adrien’s been awed into silence.  
  
“Because isn’t that what we’re supposed to be Chaton? We’re supposed to be hope. We are supposed to be the shining light that people look up to when they’re afraid. And last time a checked, hope doesn’t live in the darkness. It breaks through to the light.”  
  
Just like that, Adrien wants to kiss Ladybug all over again. There are currently two power-house, independently _beautiful_ and _confident_ women in his life, and he can’t take it. His grip on Ladybug’s wrist has loosened, and he has proceeded to just stare down at her in amazement.  
  
“What?”  
  
“You--” Chat Noir takes a deep breath in and out before continuing, “you’re incredible.”  
  
“I was just saying what needed to be said, I guess?” Ladybug is blushing hard now, and he smiles down diffidently at her, biting down on his bottom lip.  
  
“So, assurance?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“That’s what you want?”  
  
“I want that, yes. It’s what we need to do.”  
  
“Then let’s assure them.”


	9. SENSATION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a few kisses and a hickey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **PSA (S2 SPOILERS):**  
>  i honestly was planning on then doing an interview with nadia before SEASON 2 DECIDED TO PROBE MY B R A IN :(
> 
> chapter 10 is going to sound kind of familiar if you’ve been watching season 2 leaks :(
> 
> but for chapter 9?
> 
> firstly i apologize for waiting 15 years again. the next update WILL be faster. here's some filler marichat <3

“What are you going to wear?”  
  
Marinette isn’t sure if this is the seventh or twelfth time Alya has asked this in the past six days. Either way, she was getting a little sick of it, no matter how much she loved Alya.  
  
There was a lot on her mind right now and for the first time in a long time, _Adrien_ wasn’t one of them. It seemed that being Ladybug was taking over more than it usually did. She and Chat Noir had composed a plan to reach out to the people of Paris, and they were initiating it in a week. In that time, other than her duties as Ladybug, she’s been trying to catch up on sleep and keep herself as healthy as humanly possible.  
  
“Marinette!”  
  
She blinks out of her thoughts, making a sound so Alya knew the call hadn’t dropped (a cell tower stood right above her room, and she still managed to have shitty service).  
  
“I’m here, I’m here,” she repeats a few times and Alya repeats her question _once again_.  
  
“So _what are you wearing to the gala—_ ”  
  
“I’ll probably make something!” She exclaims, rubbing her forehead, “Look I just—Alya I have to _go._ I have a lot on my mind and I need to sleep before school tomorrow.”  
  
“What? Is it homework? Oh, speaking of which—you have a project, you’re partners with _Adrien_ , and you haven’t started yet?”  
  
“Is it weird that I don’t necessarily care right now? Because I don’t.”  
  
“Mari…is there something else going on?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“I mean anything. At _all_ that you need to talk about? You’ve been acting a little abnormal…”  
  
“I’ve been acting _very_ normal.”  
  
“Girl, _no you’re not._ ”  
  
“Yes, I am!”  
  
“Marinette you’ve been distant from everyone this past week. I’m _worried_ about you. Everyone is! Even _Adrien_ for god’s sake, which doesn’t even surprise me considering the fact he’s suddenly taken such interest in you!”  
  
Marinette purses her lips together. She hated being interrogated, but Alya is her friend, and she has all right to be asking questions. Yes, she had certainly been distant from everyone this week, but it was mostly because she was mentally preparing herself for facing Ladybug and Chat Noir criticism everywhere she went. It wasn’t affecting anyone around her, but it sure as hell has begun to affect her. To sit in her classroom and listen to debates about _herself_ , and someone she loves _dearly_ kills her.  
  
“I’m okay,” she tries to convince Alya, despite the fact that she’s lying straight through her teeth, “I’m okay. I’ve just had plenty on my mind at home, and let’s face it I’m fucking _petrified_ with this Hawkmoth activist group--”  
  
“Ladybug and Chat Noir are the _only_ ones who need to be worried about that.”  
  
Marinette laughs quietly to herself, because _only if she knew_.  
  
“I just gotta get some sleep,” she says, “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”  
  
“Okay; goodnight Marinette, _please_ get some rest and cheer up!”  
  
“I’ll try,” she smiles, though she lacks the enthusiasm, before hanging up and plugging in her phone to charge. A yawn escapes her lips, indicating it’s time to sign off for the night and turn in.  
  
She turns off her lamp, meandering over to her bed only to be slightly startled by a pair of luminous emerald eyes shining through the darkness of the Parisian night.  
  
_Chat Noir._  
  
Her body trembled at the sight of him. Suddenly she’s wide awake and opening her window to let him inside. He crawls in, shortening his staff before slinking his other hand inside and looking down at her gleefully.  
  
“It’s been awhile,” He grins despite Marinette’s smirking. They both knew that it had been at least a few days, but for Marinette (even seeing him as Ladybug) it felt like an eternity. She wondered if he felt the same way; then again, she always wondered if he thought about her. He never discussed Marinette with Ladybug. Chat Noir was proving to be very secret about his love life, and for the first time ever, she didn’t _like_ the fact that he was quiet about something. Whenever Chat Noir was quiet, he had something going on he didn’t want _anyone_ to know about. Usually, it wasn’t bad, but she typically found herself expressing concern whenever he fell quiet.  
  
One of these times happened to be when she mentioned his family, and he fell dead silent. Marinette could never bring herself to push it aside for the sake of keeping things easy going. Ladybug knew that things were pretty heavy for him, having to deal with Hawkmoth and the safety of Paris placed on the heroes' shoulders. _Marinette_ would just have to turn a blind eye.  
  
“Too long for my liking,” She smiles sleepily and he groans, noticing the fatigue in her eyes.  
  
“Did I catch you at a bad time again?!”  
  
“Well, you only come at night,” Marinette explains, “unlike you, I happen to sleep at night.”  
  
“I sleep,” Chat Noir argues, “I’ve just been avoiding it for a while.”  
  
“Avoiding sleep?” Marinette looks at him with concern, looking for signs of fatigue that she may have missed during the past few days of running around as her other self. Sure enough, her Chaton had bags under his eyes, and the sparkle that once shined all around him is slowly fading.  
  
“It’s complicated,” He grins, despite the exhaustion. She sighs brokenly, getting up from her bed and sauntering over to him, his head soon in between her hands.  
  
“You should talk about it,” Marinette tries to encourage him, “you should _talk to me_ about it.”  
  
“There’s not much I can say, with the alter ego and what not.”  
  
“Then tell me as much as you can tell me; enough so maybe I can help you get some sleep tonight?”  
  
Realizing he has no choice, he nods and follows Marinette as she takes him outside. She had some idea that Chat Noir has some baggage he carried around. Over the past few years, he hadn’t always been flirty and cheery. The thing with him was that when he was down, he was _down_. She could feel it walking past him; it was easy to read his emotions when he was upset because he never was the type of person to be sad.  
  
“Come over here,” she crawls towards the wall so they lean back against it and look up at the sky instead of sitting at the table. Chat Noir complies, sifting close beside her and knocking his head on the brick.  
  
“So what’s going on?”  
  
“I…” he sighs, blinking a few times while fidgeting with his hands, “It’s…”  
  
“Chaton…” Marinette takes his hands in hers quickly, squeezing tight, as if it’ll ease some of his anxiety. He sighs again, gulping before spitting out a full sentence.  
  
“How much do you know about this whole…Hawkmoth situation?”  
  
“The rumored return?”  
  
She has to fight herself to play dumb.  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“Just… the graffiti on the movie theater walls and the Louvre,” she lies, “what about it?”  
  
“There’s a lot more than you think,” he continues, “I can’t tell you much, but the chances of Hawkmoth coming back are higher than everyone thinks.”  
  
Marinette quirks here eyebrows; partially because she knows that Chat needs to be convinced that she’s perplexed and surprised by this news. But frankly, she didn’t need to act surprised; she _was_. Though Marinette loved Chat Noir dearly for trusting her with this classified information, her Ladybug side of her was slightly surprised that he was spilling doubt to a civilian. Whether it’s someone he likes to kiss or not, there should be _no_ exceptions.  
  
Well… she hopes that he likes to kiss her.  
  
“How high?”  
  
“Depending on what happens as time goes by, they’re just… _there_. It’s not a definite never any more.”  
  
Marinette nods, pretending to let it marinate.  
  
“I just… I just wanted to tell you because soon Ladybug and I are going to start speaking out more than we usually do. And I just…”  
  
“You just?”  
  
“Do you trust us Marinette? Do you trust Ladybug and Chat Noir to save Paris no matter what?”  
  
Marinette has to stop herself from answering because this is not only important to Chat Noir himself but Ladybug as well. Does she trust herself to save Paris no matter what? To say yes would be a lie, she assumes, because Marinette is bound to fuck up eventually; that’s just her _nature_.  
  
“I do,” she eventually answers, “but I know that you and Ladybug are both human and that sometimes mistakes are inevitable. But yes, Chaton, I trust you.”  
  
“I don’t want you to be afraid,” he starts again, “but I wanted you to know. Some part of me just didn’t feel good not letting you in on this.”  
  
“Isn’t it sort of confidential though…?” Marinette tries to pry into his thought process, “What if Ladybug didn’t want you talking about it now?”  
  
He turns his body fully to her, holding out his hand for her to take. Her eyebrows crease together, but she clasps her hands with his gloved claws nonetheless.  
  
“I love Ladybug dearly. But Marinette, you’re important to me.”  
  
“Chat, don’t take this the wrong way, but to you, I’m just a few kisses and a hickey.”  
  
Chat is taken aback by that statement, his her physically evident on his face, but Marinette continues despite his confusion.  
  
“I care about you, yes, but we don’t really _know_ each other. I’m not trying to be mean or hurt you, but these are just the circumstances we’re in.”  
  
“So then what do you want me to do?”  
  
“…Get to _know_ me, I suppose.”  
  
“Then that’s exactly what I’ll do,” he responds, squeezing her hands and enclosing them further within his claws, “I’ll do that.”  
  
She nods, a smile creeping up on her face. To say Chat Noir is her weakness was slowly becoming an understatement. He reaches over, stroking her cheek with the hand he freed from their grip and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, proceeding to set Marinette on fire.  
  
“I think I should go,” he grins sheepishly, getting up and taking his baton from his side, walking towards the edge of the roof, “I keep interrupting your sleep and I feel like a total asshole for it.”  
  
“ _No_ ,” She groans quietly as she gets up from her seat on the ground, “you’re not bothering me! I was being sarcastic! Chat it’s okay if you come here.”  
  
“But I _know_ you love your sleep.” He chuckles, flipping his staff around in his hand, “It’s my fault anyway. I love to brood in the darkness, and that’s exactly what Ladybug and I are trying not to do. We’re attempting to be more approachable, with less secrecy and more of an open relationship with the public. I should be doing that with you too. I shouldn’t be sheltering you from the world…”  
  
“But you _have_ to,” Marinette tries to explain to him, “if you don’t shelter what we have right now, and Hawkmoth really _does_ come back? Chat, that could be putting me in danger.”  
  
He sighs, his vibrant green eyes closing stressfully.  
  
“You’re doing a good job,” Marinette hopes her encouraging voice soothes his anxiety, and proceeds to cup his face in her snug hold, “and I’m okay with where we are right now. Our relationship is growing the way it should and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”  
  
Eventually, he opens his eyes again, pressing his forehead against hers and giving her a dignified nod.  
  
“Just let me know if you need me. _Ever_. I’ll be here in a heartbeat for you, nothing less.”  
  
“I know,” she beams, “but Chaton?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“This doesn’t mean you can’t kiss me. You know that right?”  
  
His laugh is bright and optimistic, so much that Marinette wouldn’t be surprised if the sun started to rise a few hours early at the sound of it. His laugh was beautiful and familiar, and she couldn’t help but suspect that feeling that she’s heard it before; that she’s _felt_ that euphoria before.  
  
Chat kisses her and all her worries flutter away, almost like the purified butterflies she used to set free after an akuma attack. The loose yet lively feeling she got when Chat Noir kissed her was something she knew was irreplaceable. She doubted Adrien could give her the same sensation, or any other boy that would cross paths with her in life. She wasn’t sure what it was about him, but it was life itself that flowed through his veins; he could stir only the most superior commotion in her heart.  
  
He pulls away, the loss of his caress causing Marinette to whine. Chat laughs quietly again before pecking her lips one last time.  
  
“The next time we meet will be much sooner, Princess.”  
  
He extends his staff, winking with his archetypal bold grin before leaping off her roof and into the night. She leans over the edge of her railing, watching as he disappeared into the starry night off to god knows where. Marinette wondered when the next time she’d see him would be if he insisted it would be so soon. The breeze kissed her skin, the silhouette of Chat’s lips prompting shivers.  
  
She hoped the day would never come where he would have to discover that the girl he loves now, is the one he loved first.

 

 

___________________________________

 

 

 

“Good morning, Adrien.”  
  
His eyes blink open a few times, the sunlight irritating him. Adrien didn’t remember much from last night; he recalled coming in, releasing his transformation and crashing into his bed, mind whirling with thoughts of Marinette. He still didn’t understand how he missed her for all these years of high school. She truly was incredible, her jubilant personality making her beautiful physical features shine brightly.  
  
“You have a lot to do today,” Nathalie continues, ignoring the fact that she didn’t get a reply, “Fencing, classes, Chinese, and you have to tell that Marinette girl she’s going to have to attend fittings with you.”  
  
“ _Fittings_ with me?”  
  
“Well of course; if you’ve chosen to take Marinette over Chloe, she’s going to have to attend fittings with _you_ since she’s unable to get professional fittings on her own.”  
  
“Marinette is _very_ capable of getting a fitting for a dress herself.”  
  
Adrien hates the way she’s speaking, as if Marinette is the gum on the bottom of their shoe. She’s so much _more_ , and though he understands that this is the role of social classification, he can feel himself fuming.  
  
“Well, either way, she needs to match with you. Therefore you need to be together so you both can collaborate and pick what you want to wear.”  
  
“That’s fine; when?”  
  
“It’s going to be a week from today.”  
  
Adrien pales. That’s when Ladybug and Chat Noir are doing their interview. Nathalie begins to walk away from his bedside but he shouts out to her.  
  
“Nathalie! Is there any way we can reschedule?!”  
  
“Adrien, the date has been set for weeks now. It’s impossible to change at this point. Why?”  
  
“Nothing,” He sighs, defeated. _Good thing_.  
  
“Make sure you tell Marinette, Adrien.”  
  
“I will,” he sighs, rubbing his forehead.  
  
“Have a good day at school.”  
  
She shuts the door and Adrien groans, throwing himself back into his bed. Plagg flies from underneath his pillow, landing on his stomach.  
  
“Adrien…”  
  
“Why is _everything_ going wrong this week, Plagg?” He cries, throwing his hands over his eyes, pulling down on his skin, “I can’t _stand_ it! How am I going to be in two places at once, huh? I have to be Adrien and Chat Noir back-to-back already; can’t I just get a goddamn break and not have to be them both at the _same_ time?!”  
  
“Adrien, I get that this is a big problem, but we also have to address the fact that we haven’t further investigated your father’s involvement with those…people.”  
  
He almost forgot about what he had seen at the abandoned warehouse. The machinery that managed to render him useless even when they didn’t know he was there. He tugs at his hair, turning away from his window.  
  
“I wish I could just turn everything off,” he groans louder, “just run away with Marinette and forget everything that’s going on.”  
  
“Good luck running away when the responsibility of Chat Noir is just going to follow you around.”  
  
“ _Gah!_ ” He yells, looking up at the ceiling, “Can’t you just let me have this fantasy?”  
  
“Come on,” Plagg flies up beside his exposed cheek, “I’m not excited about it in any way, but we need to go to school now.”  
  
“Do we?”  
  
“We do kid.”  
  
Adrien sluggishly gets up, pulling on whatever clothes he finds, and picks up his backpack from the other side of the room. Contrary to belief, when stressed he can become very messy. No one has commented on it yet though, _thank god_.  
  
He walks out of his front door, not wondering where his father is or where he _could_ be, simply wanting to go to school and get this day over with. His foot nudges a newspaper with a picture of the Hawkmoth coalition plastered on the front page, and he fights his urge to tear it to shreds in an uncharacteristic fit of rage.  
  
“Let’s go,” he sighs, piling himself in the car and watching the colorful building fly by as he contemplates what to do with the drawbacks he’s been given.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 10 coming VERY soon!


	10. COLDEST WINTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> will i ever love again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y i k e s.
> 
> adrien is a _spicy boi._
> 
> and i'm so sorry that this took so long. i've joined some writing events for the voltron fanbase and they have deadlines soon so i've had to split up my work accordingly. I _promise_ i haven't forgotten about this!
> 
> **DISCLAIMER: this plot is not based on anything presented to us in season 2 (with the exception of gabriel being hawkmoth because that was a foreseen prediction). some of the things preplanned for this fanfiction coincidentally became canon in season 2 (you'll see what i mean if you've watched)**

“So wait; what is it again?”  
  
“It’s a fitting for our outfits, for the gala.”  
  
The model closes his eyes briefly in an attempt to stop the sarcasm and anger boiling within him at the mention of the appointment. He already didn’t want to attend, but knowing the importance of this conflict makes him detest it even more.  
  
“Father---he wants us to match, and the only way the designers will be able to complete the project is if we’re both there…”  
  
Adrien is sitting with Marinette at a lunch table a bit farther from the other students. He knew he had to get her alone in order to have this conversation with her seriously. No Chloe, no loitering students, and no teachers. Just one on one planning.  
  
Luckily, Nino agreed to help him keep the students away by showing them some of his flashy new DJ equipment. A day didn’t go by where Adrian wasn’t thankful for Nino. He trusts him with his life; so much that he’s considered telling him about Chat Noir many more times than once. He knows the risks that come with someone knowing, but keeping the weight of his double life to himself was plain awful.  
  
Not only has telling Nino crossed his mind but telling Marinette has as well. It would be like something out of the stories Adrien would read with his mother before bed; she would find out, and they would team up together with Ladybug and keep his secret hidden while keeping their budding romance alive.  
  
Only if things could work out that way.  
  
“Nathalie said it’s going to be near impossible to reschedule, so I guess you have no choice? _I-I mean_ , of _course,_ you would have a choice at the end of the day. You made the choice to attend with me in the first place, right?”  
  
“Adrien, of course. I’ll be there. It’s no problem. But what day is it?”  
  
“A week from today.”  
  
“So next Wednesday?” Marinette takes out her cell phone, scrolling through her calendar, “I mean, I _should_ be free--oh…oh no.”  
  
“What?” Adrien questions, looking over her shoulder in a prying manner, “is something wrong--”  
  
Marinette locks her phone quickly and slams it down on the table in alarm, grinning up at Adrien,  
  
“Everything’s fine!” She exclaims, “It’s no big deal; it’s just that I need to tell my parents beforehand, that’s all.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Positive,” Adrien blushes when she looks up at him with a bright toothy smile, “I’ll uh, text you?”  
  
“Yeah,” his grin is high-strung and he proceeds to pinch himself as he tries to stop the blush advancing its way to his cheeks.  
  
“Text me.”  
  
She walks away, his hand barely moving up to wave despite the burning eagerness to shoot his hand up. They texted plenty before he had grown this sudden infatuation for her, sure, but now there was a _purpose_. It almost felt like he was updating her on a date, asking her what time she needed to be picked up and brought home. He smiles at the thought until he remembers that he _has_ technically been on a date with Marinette. It felt like ages since the fateful day when they first saw the birth of what could be Hawkmoth’s return.He then remembers how badly that date ended and decides to forget that thought as he walks back to where Nino stands, the entire class surrounding him.  
  
He takes a few steps forward before stopping, his mind wracking him with images of Marinette; her smile, the way her head tilted and her hair shifted to the side when she looked at him, her _goddamn eyes_ he couldn’t get enough of. Adrien exhaled slowly, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.  
  
He needed her in ways that Adrien couldn’t have her. The timing was inconvenient, but Chat Noir _did_ say that he would visit her outside of their usual meeting hour.  
  
Keeping that in the front of his mind and nothing else, he ran off to the nearest bathroom before the school bell rang.  
  
  
  
  
-  
  
  
  
  
Marinette gets up from the table when Adrien waves and walks away, eyes trained on him longingly as he disappears around the corner. She hoped to every god above that she would be able to make it to the fitting. She didn’t want to let Adrien down when it came to matters that involved his father. She was aware of how strict he could be and didn’t want him to be in more shit than he’s already in.  
  
She knew her responsibilities as Ladybug would eventually take priority over something minuscule in her other life, but _of course_ , they had to be of significance during the sternest of events.  
  
Not only that, but she couldn’t help the disappointment taking over when she heard that she would be getting fitted into a dress. She was hoping to design her own dress and wear it beside Adrien. Yes, it was truly a naive hope, but to be able to perhaps catch the eye of a high-end designer who _just happened_ to love the dress she was wearing?  
  
Then he or she would ask,  
  
 _“Where did you get the dress?”_  
  
And she would have the irresistible satisfaction of replying,  
  
 _“It’s self-made.”_  
  
They would gasp, fall to their knees in awe of her work (because Marinette wasn’t a professional, but she was pretty damn good for a teenager) and immediately ask her if she’d like an internship. Just like that, Marinette’s fantasy would have come true.  
  
She knew it was a reach, but just being able to have the opportunity to get noticed was enough for her.  
  
But she knew she had to comply and follow through with Adrien’s father’s plans for both of their sake (but if she’s being honest, mostly his).  
  
Marinette is startled out of her thoughts by the bell, indicating the end of lunch. Everybody filters out quickly, leaving her alone to mentally collect herself and head to her next class.  
  
Though before she can even recall what class she has to go to, Chat Noir is landing next to her, poking her shoulder and grinning down at her widely. Marinette yelps, backing away from him in fright.  
“You’re--what are you doing here?!” Marinette whispers harshly, and then her mouth is covered and she’s being pushed into a nearby closet by Chat Noir. She wasn’t sure whether she should be pleased that he made this much of an effort to see her, aroused because of how close their bodies were about to be in that closet, or pissed off because of how much danger her partner was putting himself in by being reckless with her civilian identity  
  
He doesn’t uncover Marinette’s mouth until they’re secured in the janitor’s (roomy, to her surprise) closet, Chat Noir’s back against the door keeping them safely inside. When his hand leaves her lips she holds back her enraged outbursts, choosing instead to inhale, deep and exaggerated.  
  
“What, are you doing here,” she repeats her previous question from before, glaring up at him. “I should be in class. You should be on patrol or something! Or at home! Do you ever go home?”  
  
“I wanted to see my favorite girl somewhere else other than her bedroom, or her balcony,” he says, and a squeak escapes her lips as he pulls her towards him with a clawed hand, gripping her hip just tightly enough so she could feel the pinpricks of his claws on her skin.  
  
“W-Well here I am,” Marinette cringes, knowing she’s already losing her composure being this close to him, “satisfied yet?”  
  
“Are you?”   
  
God damn it, why won’t he just get it over with? Marinette swears he thrives on this unspoken tautness between them. It’s romantic, sensual and mysterious beyond her wildest dreams. _(maybe a remark here like ‘but damn is it getting on her nerves’, bc it’s supposed to annoy her)_  
  
“If you’re not going to kiss me,” she finally musters the confidence to say, “then please release me from this closet and let me go about my day.”  
  
Chat Noir chuckles, his sharp teeth visible for a moment as his eyes gleam brightly. Fondness, with a satisfying amount of lust. Marinette takes note of the way his eyes come to life when looking at her before he brings them together in their first passionate kiss, after what seemed like an infinite wait.  
The lip lock is messy, both of them too desperate for each other’s touch to care about technique or precision.  Marinette can’t ignore the sharp sensations of electricity racing through her body, the excitement stirring within her adding to everything she gives to Chat Noir. She is breaks away first, her breath shaky and lips trembling against his.   
  
“Mari,” he croaks, eyes struggling to stay open as her hands roam about his broad torso, “we saw each other yesterday.”  
  
“Then tell me why it feels like it’s been years,” she whines quietly, pulling him back in and clashing their lips together once more. Her hands snake up to tangle themselves in his golden locks, the texture familiar though she’s never felt anything like it before.   
  
“What happened to ‘I don’t know, get to know me.’?”  
  
Marinette groans, resting her head on Chat Noir’s shoulder as his laugh echoes in the empty closet. He’s right to remind her of her past wishes, but at the time she didn’t feel as touch starved as she does right now. Chat Noir was literally a drug. The second she deprived herself of him, she came back wanting more than before. Of course she wanted him to know her on a more emotional and thoughtful level than from all the physicality that had been introduced into their relationship primarily. But whether it be her raging hormones doing the talking or her moral compass tipping off it’s equilibrium, she didn’t care around him. It was a constant realization that she made, and she was shockingly aware of how much she was letting him  change her.  
  
“Forget it,” she whispers, pressing their foreheads together and embracing him closer, “I do; I mean of course I do, but sometimes I can’t stand being unable to feel you, not _touching_ you, not--”  
  
“So tell me something,” he kisses her quickly, “tell me something fast.”  
  
“I love fashion,” she gasps against his lips, easing in to kiss him again as he huffs, grinning.  
  
“I already know that babe.”  
  
“Don’t call me _babe_. Who the hell _ever_ said you could call me babe?”  
  
“You’ll let me call you princess, but not babe? Really?”  
  
“Babe implies a lot more…”Marinette replies shyly, turning away from him, “you know that.”  
  
“Are you _afraid_ for it to imply more?”  
  
“Chat Noir--”  
  
“Hey,” he nudges a finger against her lips, silencing her, “just tell me. I’m getting to know you, aren’t I? What do you think of labels, Marinette?”  
  
“I think they’re a necessary evil,” she answers almost immediately, “necessary because of the natural desire to have a definition, but evil because sometimes labels constrict us.”  
  
“So tell me,” he continues, “do you want to have a label?”  
  
“That depends on whether I want to be constricted to the confines of the label, doesn’t it?”  
  
“Exactly,” he taps her forehead with his finger, “you’re pretty goddamn smart, aren’t you?”  
  
“But we both already knew that,” she moves his digit away from her, “but it’s my turn to ask now.”  
  
“By all means.”  
  
“What do _you_ think of labels?”  
  
“They exist.”  
  
“And?”  
  
“That’s it. They just exist. My whole life has been an overflowing list of labels, and I’m kind of sick of it.”  
  
 _“Your entire life?”_  
  
“You learn something new every day,” he shrugs, his eyes wandering around the closed space in an attempt to avoid Marinette’s curious glare, “but yes; they exist, but they do not affect me or my life anymore.”  
  
“So what you’re essentially saying is that the option of giving us a label is--”  
  
“Up to you,” he grins, Cheshire Cat spelled all over his notorious smile as he awaits her decision. She thinks about it for a few seconds, partially pretending to provide suspense, but also because she’s considering her decision from her’s and Ladybug’s perspective.  
  
And she almost tells him no, considering their circumstances and what she knows what they both have to live up to, in and out of the mask.  
  
But his _eyes_ of all things compel her to choose otherwise. She’d say his entire presence is practically glowing in the dark closet, but his eyes are the source. They’re filled with a liveliness Marinette rarely sees when people look at her. He _wants_ to look at her. She knows, because that’s _exactly_ how he used to look at Ladybug.  
  
Chat Noir was serious about this. And if he was, well, why couldn’t she?  
  
“Boyfriend.”  
  
“Boyfriend?”  
  
“You. I mean--yeah, I can deal with the…”  
  
“Labels?”  
  
“Yeah, the labels.” Marinette tries to catch her breath, to stop herself from stammering herself into the clouds, “So, boyfriend. You are my boyfriend.”  
  
“So, am I your boyfriend, or…?” He snickers, wittingly mocking her nervous tick.  
  
“M-Maybe,” she mutters, caught off guard but maintaining eye contact, remembering that Chat Noir had not given his own consent to her, “if…if you think you’re ready for that.”  
  
“Why wouldn’t I be?”  
  
“I mean, you’ve got a lot on your plate as ‘Chat Noir’.” Marinette shrugs, still in slight disbelief that they were even having this conversation. Weren’t they moving too fast? It had been a few weeks since the first time, sure, but still, she went from being madly in love with Adrien Agreste for four years to kissing Chat Noir (her _partner_ in separate life, nonetheless) in the school’s janitor’s closet.  
  
“Marinette, I’m a lot more than the name,” he tugs her against his slim body once again, drawing them as close in proximity as they were seconds ago, “if you wanna be my girlfriend, then that’s fine with me.”  
  
“But--”  
  
“No one said you had to be involved with the heroics and danger,” he attempts to remind her but she shakes her head.  
  
“Being involved with the name immediately involves me with the game.”  
  
“But you’re willing to take that risk, aren’t you?” He smirks and she gives him an extreme side eye before he yanks her into another smooth kiss. She’s less desperate this time, letting herself thrive in the full commotion and the scandal.  
  
Chat Noir was her _boyfriend_.  
  
At least, she _thinks_ he is. Is he?  
  
 _She presumes he is._  
  
He pulls away, stepping aside and giving her permission to exit. Not that she ever needed his permission.  
  
“You go first,” he nods his head, “I’ll see you soon princess, alright?”  
  
“So this is how it’s going to be from here on out?” She folds her arms, smirking at him. Chat Noir stops his previous actions, looking back at her. Per usual, he’s confused by her sudden assertion.  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“You get to decide when I see you?”  
  
“Oh-- well I--do you wanna decide, then?”  
  
“Surprise me next time,” she replies, slinking past him, “but next time I get to choose when.”  
  
“Deal,” he beams down at her, leaning in for another goodbye kiss. Marinette decided to duck out of it, avoiding him with a devilish smirk as she saunters back to her class.  
  
“Goodbye Chat Noir,” she whispers, blowing him a kiss before shutting the door. Unknowingly, despite not being able to see her, he holds his hand up and catches her kiss, heart fluttering out of his chest as he reddens, the blush painting his cheeks.  
  
She was also unaware that Adrien wouldn’t be present for the rest of the day. _Adrien_ had made an executive decision to skip the rest of the day, knowing it wouldn’t affect his grades in any way. He wanted to bask in his joy for a moment; no interruptions, no other people, just him (well along with Plagg, if he even speaks once he’s released from Adrien’s transformation…he might just go to sleep) and his own happy thoughts.  
  
He believed it was worth it, considering this was the first time in a long time he couldn’t think of anything negative. To have that feeling alone was a gift to him and he desired to cherish it as long as he could.  
  
So he texts Nino, telling him to tell the teachers he went home sick and would be unable to attend the rest of the day without getting everyone else sick. If he was contagious enough, the teachers would absolutely be okay with him disappearing.  
  
Sitting leisurely on a roof, he contemplates both of his suddenly colliding lives, whether it be because of Marinette or his father.  
  
Adrien shimmies into his partially opened window around 6:30 PM as Chat Noir, releasing his transformation as soon as his feet land lightly on the carpet of his bedroom. The sun is about to set over Paris and the blonde is so tired he can barely keep his eyes open. Plagg heads for the closet as soon as he’s freed, where an infinite stash of cheese awaits him. Adrien ignores him, kicking off his sneakers and laying down on his bed, exhaustion crashing over him like a wave.  
  
Footsteps come and go as he lays there, practically comatose. His arms and legs are falling asleep and he hopes his subconscious follows, a nap sounding _very_ good right about now. He’d be more awake before he’d have to patrol or do his homework (plus the classwork he’d missed earlier).  
  
Remembering that he had to get that work from today, his hand lazily pulls his cell phone out of his pocket, dialing Nino.  
  
He listens to the dial tone ring three times until it’s replaced with Nino’s thunderous voice.  
  
“Dude, you’re _not_ going to believe--”  
  
“Hello to you too Nino,” Adrien yawns languidly, “hey but could you send over pictures of the classwork I--”  
  
“Adrien! _Chat Noir_ was at our school!”  
  
Adrien sits up almost immediately, his phone slipping out of his numb fingers and flying across the room in the process. He scrambles to retrieve it, now fully awake and sitting on the floor and clutching the device with both of his hands.  
  
“What?!”  
  
“You always choose the wrong days to go home sick,” he raves on, “look, I sent it to you.”  
  
He unlocks his phone, ready to disregard Nino’s photo of yet _another_ black blur as something else. Though he is rendered surprised when greeted with a clear photo of Chat Noir jumping up to the school’s roof.  
  
“ _Whoa…_ ”  
  
“Right?!”  
  
“Who took these Nino?”  
  
“Nobody’s really sure, they just showed up on the school’s web page! Whoever was there was close though, these shots are pretty high quality. I thought those two were more careful with who spotted them.”  
  
 _They were high quality_. Whoever took these was _waiting_ for him to be seen. They had to have known that he was there. The quality was too good for a phone camera, so there had to be actual equipment involved. And to get the camera ready and loaded would take awhile. Adrien made a hasty escape; below ten seconds at _least._ The photographer behind these shots was there, and _waiting_.  
  
Which means that same photographer knows about _Marinette_.  
  
Are there pictures of her too?  
  
“Adrien?”  
  
“Huh?” He spaces back in, listening attentively to Nino now, “Sorry, can you repeat that?”  
  
“I said Chloe is still pretty pressed about not being able to go to the gala as your date. She was complaining about it in class today and practically harassing Marinette about it.”  
  
“That’s the least of my worries right now,” He groans, annoyance prodding him, “Chloe can still go the gala, just _not_ with me. And Marinette can handle herself. She’s a strong girl.”  
  
“Mmm,” Adrien knows Nino is smirking on the other end and rolls his eyes, “didn’t notice when she had a crush on you, did ya?”  
  
“ _Listen_ , can you just send me the--”  
  
“Adrien!”  
  
His father knocks on his door curtly from the hallway, scaring the living shit out of the blonde and almost causing him to drop his phone again.”  
  
“I’ll call you back later Nino,” Adrien whispers, hanging up the phone and moving to open the door for his father. He’s dressed in formal attire, the Gorilla hovering behind him.  
  
“Hello, Father.”  
  
His grip on the doorknob tightens.  
  
“I’m going out for the night,” He says, not looking his son in the eyes but instead, looking at his open window, You are to stay in and get your school work done. Nathalie will be in around nine to make sure you practice your piano lessons.”  
  
“Yes Father,” he responds dispassionately, turning around and waiting to hear the sound of his door being shut and locked.  
  
“Adrien.”  
  
He looks over his shoulder.  
  
“What have you heard regarding these…rebel groups?”  
  
That was _not_ what he was expecting.  
  
“J...Just chatter at school.” Adrien lies, “The teachers encourage us not to discuss it.”  
  
“Good,” He responds, grabbing the doorknob, “I’ll see you in the morning.”  
  
The door shuts and clicks, and the boy groans before dropping to his knees.  
  
“Adrien,” Plagg floats behind him, “your father is going to be gone _all night_.”  
  
“So?”  
  
“Maybe there’s something in his office that’ll help us figure out what was going on in that warehouse.”  
  
He nods firmly, knowing this should have been done a long time ago.  
  
 _“Plagg claws out.”_  
  
Chat Noir creeps out his bedroom window, latching on to the ledge as he looks around for anybody that could be watching.  Especially now that he knew he had a photographer probably following his every move.  
  
He waits until he’s sure his father has left the house, knowing he has quite a few meetings at the office tonight and it was basically his _only_ window. It had been a few weeks since he and Plagg had discovered the warehouse and they had failed to do any further investigation until now.  
  
But Adrien remembers how frantically his father tried to hide the papers on his desk the last time he had been in his office. His father knew something that he didn’t, and he had to get to the bottom of it before his ignorance causes others harm.  
  
He watches the Gorilla walk out behind Gabriel, following his father to the car where he is to be escorted. He then turns to Nathalie’s office, where she is presumably preoccupied with other work (probably pertaining to the gala coming up). Adrien moves his head from the window, crawling along the wall into his father’s office.  
  
Once he touches down on the ground, he liberates his transformation before holding his index finger to his lips when Plagg reappears in front of him. He nods, beginning to poke around a few drawers.  
  
Adrien does the same, sitting down in his chair and opening the desk drawers before him.  
  
For a few minutes all he does is _open, search, close, repeat._ He stumbles across some knickknacks, a few pictures of his mother (none of _him_ , unsurprisingly), and a shit ton of design plans and ‘Gabriel’ merchandise. He groans, frustrated at the current failure of their search.  
  
Another drawer slams shut on Adrien’s end as he pushes the chair back in anguish. It slams into the bookshelf behind him and he stops breathing. His back hits the bookcase as he rears away from his father’s desk. He pinches his eyes shut, praying Nathalie wouldn’t hear and come over.  
  
Two minutes pass, and he hears nothing. Relieved, he releases the breath he didn’t know he was holding while pushing off the bookshelf. He reaches down to pick up the various items that had fallen, but his hands stop moving when his fingers scrape over a black flash drive.  
  
Now, Adrien knows for _certain_ that his father has a box filled with his flash drives in one of his desk drawers. He _literally_ just saw it. Suspicious already, he turns on the computer and signs in as a guest, plugging the flash drive in. Plagg flies beside Adrien’s fingers that drum against the hardwood.  
  
The file opens before him on the screen, spreading as they appear one by one. Names fly by, none of them near legible. Adrien discerns a vast array of random numbers and letters that make up the file names as soon as they’re all fully loaded. None of the words seem to have significant meaning, but he clicks on them anyway.  
  
The first one he clicks has the name ‘OP_886MWI’. Plagg has flown off his shoulder at this point, searching elsewhere and leaving him to scroll through the content on the flash drive. He opens the folder and hundreds of familiar book pages emerge onto Gabriel’s desktop.  
  
 _Adrien knew these pages._  
  
He looked closer, seeking a reminder and finding it once his eyes landed on the page with Ladybug and her weapon. Did he own a digital copy the whole time?

Adrien distinctly remembers his father becoming angrier than he had ever been when he lost that book all those years ago. Hell, he _still_ didn’t know where the damn thing was, but he’ll never forget the glares of anger and fury his father gave him when he had finally confessed to losing it.  
  
 _All that, and he had it on this flash drive the whole time?_  
  
The blonde continues to scroll through the rest of the images, the pages revealing more and more of what seemed to be in-depth information about miraculous wielders. He couldn’t read a single thing, but he still pondered on if his father could or not.  
  
“Adrien!”  
  
He barely hears Plagg’s hushed shout, practically tripping over his father’s unconventionally large desk before hover above him with concern.  
  
“What? What is it?”  
  
“This folder…it’s   _filled_ with pictures of you and Ladybug.”  
  
Adrien’s vision blurs white.  
  
 _The photographer_.  
  
“No…” He whispers, “it can’t be.”  
  
“There are pictures of your classmates in another and just random people _all over Paris_ in a few of them. There’s an entire drawer of these folders kid…”  
  
Adrien thumbs through the images in the folder, fingertips shaking. His father had probably countless images of Chat Noir, Ladybug, his classmates, and possibly millions of Parisians sitting in these file cabinets. He shuts the drawer, clutching the folder that had pictures of Ladybug and Chat Noir resting inside of them. These were taken when coming and going to patrol sessions, fighting akumas before they defeated Hawkmoth, and more. Adrien doesn’t even remember some of these instances.  
  
His father was _searching_ for Ladybug and Chat Noir.  
  
But _why?_  
  
Plagg shifts on his shoulder, the realization dawning on him faster than his holder. In one hand he holds the flash drive filled with information on miraculous wielders, and in the other, he holds the hundreds of images of him and his partner.  
  
“Adrien.”  
  
He puts both of the items down, head spinning. He couldn’t just sit here and naïvely tell himself his father wasn’t purposely involved in this. This was mass direct involvement; so much, that Adrien found himself introducing the idea that his father could possibly be the ringleader behind it all.  
  
And now his father was an addition to the list of things he has to worry about. Not just as Adrien, but now as Chat Noir, along with the Hawkmoth support group activists, assuring the public that they were fit to be heroes, and Hawkmoth _himself_. Making sure that he didn’t make a comeback was essential.  
  
Though he had to ask himself, _why the hell does his father care about all of this in the first place?_  
  
“ _Adrien_.”  
  
He turns wearily at his kwami, whose arms are crossed as he tilts his head towards all the information they’ve uncovered.  
  
“Still don’t wanna tell Ladybug?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope there was thorough enjoyment :)))


End file.
